ESO East Supplement 2023 - 19

Topcuoglu and Ozdemir
19
Turkish interventional Neurology training campaign was
conducted by Prof. A. Özcan Özdemir working in Eskisehir
Osmangazi University Stroke Center. In the following years,
neuroendovascular training centers were opened in Gaziantep
and Istanbul.
Figure 2. English version of one of the posters used in the
campaign.
mean age was 65 years, the mean symptom-to-needle time
was 111 min; pre-tPA National Institutes of Health Stroke
Scale (NIHSS) score was 13.8, mean good prognosis at
3 months (Modified Rankin's score-mRS ⩽ 2) 59.6%, mortality
16.5%, and symptomatic IV tPA-related intracerebral
hemorrhage 5.6%.15 In the recently published Turkish
Endovascular Stroke Registry, where 975 patients were analyzed,
the mean age was 65 years, the mean NIHSS 16, the
good prognosis at 3 months (mRS ⩽ 2) was 43%, the mortality
was 24%, and symptomatic bleeding was 13.6%.16
In order to increase the use of IV tPA by neurologists in
acute ischemic stroke, 19 certified courses were held in 17
provinces in 3 years between 2017 and 2019 in cooperation
with the Turkish Society of Neurology and the Turkish
Society of Cerebrovascular Diseases. Nearly 500 neurologists
completed this training program where more than 50
trainers took a role. In addition, 16 neurologists received
short-term IV tPA scholarship for comprehensive stroke
centers in 2017-2018 with a program managed by the
Turkish Neurological Society. In this context, the Turkish
Neurological Society published the first edition of the Acute
Stroke IV tPA user manual in 2017 and its second edition in
2019. The society-endorsed informed consent forms of IV
tPA usage and drip-and-ship procedures are also included in
this handbook.
The results of the MR CLEAN study,17 which opened a
new era in acute ischemic stroke, were announced at the
ninth World Stroke Congress held in Istanbul on October 25,
2014.18 Following this event which had taken place in our
country, a high-degree neurointerventional training campaign
sparkled among neurologists in Turkey. By the end of
2021, almost 50 neurologists had completed neurointerventional
training under the structural program that was certified
by Turkish Neurological Society and Turkish Cerebrovascular
Disease Society and started working in stroke centers. What
is pleasing is that almost all of these centers are newly introduced
centers. In 2021, neurologists directly performed more
than half of acute stroke thrombectomies in the country.
" Inme.org.tr " campaign and
population-level awareness
The Turkish Society of Cerebrovascular Diseases run a
nation-wide campaign to overcome the obstacles preventing
acute stroke patients from reaching treatment, and
work in a non-stop manner to raise social awareness about
acute stroke to the higher level.19 Starting from 29 October
2020, the World Stroke Day, in the 2020-2021 pandemic
period, this effort has been carried to a further dimension
with introduction of website named as " www.inme.org.tr. "
The motto of this campaign is " stroke cure = early intervention. "
(Figure 2). In this campaign, informative
announcements and news were made on radio and television
programs, on our websites and on other social media
facilities without any interruption. News and information
about stroke were published in the newspapers. Educational
posters were placed on billboards in the subways, buses,
common areas, municipal facilities, parks, and squares in
the cities. Our banners took place at the national football
league matches. Stroke patient handbooks, t-shirts, masks,
name badges and badges were prepared for clinics and distributed
free of charge. The short film competition titled
" Are you aware? " was an important stage of this campaign.
In these activities, it is always aimed to inform the population
with short and clear messages and to change the
lifestyle.
Near future expectations
The time has come to establish an integrative organization
of stroke units and centers, a nationwide management network,
and develop a quality-based acute stroke system.
And, it is the time for official definition of the personal
rights of stroke nurses, physiotherapists, and languagespeech
therapists and other disciplines who will take part in
the team headed by the neurologist directing management
and care in the neurological intensive care and stroke units
and angiography suits. The workforce of neurologists who
can manage neurological and neurointerventional treatments
to a desired level should be increased in a short time.
These neurologists will adopt and implement the modern
stroke system of care, drawn in the directive in our country,
provide scientific stroke management uninterrupted. It is
our effort and expectation that all of them will be implemented
in the near future. The European Stroke Organization
(ESO) and the Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE) will be
our indispensable stakeholders in this regard.
http://www.inme.org.tr."
ESO East Supplement 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ESO East Supplement 2023
