Journal of Thai Stroke Society

Stroke News

2026-04-29T15:06:52+07:00

Public Relations

2026-04-29T15:09:52+07:00

A Comparative Study of Continuous Electrocardiographic Monitoring with Holter Monitoring to Detect Paroxysmal AF in Acute Ischemic Stroke.

2026-01-19T00:08:28+07:00

Background: Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) is an important cause of acute ischemic stroke. Although Holter monitoring is the standard diagnostic modality, its use is limited by device availability and short monitoring duration. Continuous electrocardiographic monitoring (CEM), widely implemented in stroke units, may provide a practical alternative in general hospital settings.

Methods: This prospective cohort study with historical controls included patients aged >65 years with acute ischemic stroke admitted to the Stroke Unit of Nakhon Pathom Hospital from January 2019 to December 2024. AF detection rates between CEM and Holter monitoring were compared. All patients were followed continuously for AF occurrence and thromboembolic event for 1 year after the index stroke.

Results: AF detection rates did not differ significantly between CEM and Holter monitoring. Factors associated with Higher AF detection included cardioembolism (OR 20.69; 95% CI 2.65–161.74; p = 0.006) and CHA₂DS₂-VASc score >5 (OR 5.72; 95% CI 0.82–39.81; p = 0.045). The cost per AF detected was substantially lower with CEM (2,067.7 THB) compared with Holter monitoring (32,800 THB). One-year follow-up identified 1 new AF case, 4 recurrent strokes, and 9 deaths.

Conclusion: CEM Provided AF detection performance comparable to Holter monitoring while demonstrating superior markedly greater cost-effectiveness, particularly among high-risk groups such as patient with cardioembolism/ESUS or elevated CHA₂DS₂-VASc scores. These findings support CEM as a practical and efficient approach for AF surveillance in routine stroke unit care

The Effectiveness of a Discharge Planning Program Using the D-METHOD on Health Literacy for Recurrent Stroke Prevention

2026-03-20T17:51:43+07:00

This study employed a quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design. The objectives were to examine the level of health literacy for recurrent stroke prevention and to compare health literacy levels among patients with stroke before and after participation in a discharge planning program using the D-Method. The participants were 30 patients diagnosed with ischemic stroke who received treatment and were discharged from Lang Suan Hospital, Chumphon Province, Thailand. Participants were selected using simple random sampling. Research instruments included a demographic questionnaire and the Health Literacy for Recurrent Stroke Prevention Questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and paired t-test.

The results revealed that prior to the intervention, participants demonstrated a low level of health literacy for recurrent stroke prevention (Mean = 48.83, SD = 3.92). After receiving the discharge planning program based on the D-Method, health literacy scores significantly increased to a high level (M = 78.26, SD = 6.84). The post-intervention scores were significantly higher than the pre-intervention scores at the .05 level of significance (t = 14.57, p < .001). Furthermore, improvements were observed across all health literacy domains, including knowledge and understanding, access to health information, health communication, self-management, media and information literacy, and appropriate decision-making.

In conclusion, the discharge planning program using the D-Method was effective in enhancing health literacy for recurrent stroke prevention among patients with stroke. The program can be applied as an effective strategy for strengthening continuity of care and improving post-discharge patient outcomes.

Message from President of Thai Stroke Society

2026-04-29T15:00:46+07:00

Editorial

2026-04-29T15:05:27+07:00