Stroke scales desi avatar at All India Institute of Medical Sciences

NEW DELHI: Two months ago, when Ramesh Chauhan was admitted to AIIMS after a stroke, he underwent a special test -health stroke scale – to measure the level of cognitive deficit he had suffered. He was asked to read English tongue-twisters and recognize pictures of cookie jars, among other objects. A UP-based farmer, Chauhan says he flunked the test not only because of the clots in his brain but also on account of the unfamiliar terms and objects he was asked to identify. Spelling relief for lakhs of patients like Chauhan, who are ill at ease with the English language, doctors at AIIMS have developed a Hindi version of the health stroke scale. It uses objects like balloon, lock, spoon, tiger, bus and telephone – relatively easier to identify – to assess the comprehensive abilities of patients. To check their language skills, simple words in Hindi like ‘namaskar’ and ‘mama’ have been added to the scale.

Dr Kameshwar Prasad, head of the neurology department, the brain behind the new scale, says the Hindi version will facilitate accurate assessment and treatment of over 75% of those who do not know English. “The test helps us decide whether clot busters should be given to the patient,” said Prasad. “If the assessment is not right, drug administration and management of the patient becomes difficult as has been the case so far. Poor patients coming from rural backgrounds were often unable to identify objects in the English version of the scale or read sentences. “Doctors had to pitch in and explain to them the sentences in Hindi or use new subjects from the surroundings for the test,” said Amit Kumar, a researcher part of Dr Prasad’s team, who recently validated the efficacy of the Hindi version through a clinical trial. Around 107 patients admitted at the emergency department and neurology wards of AIIMS underwent the trial. The study has been published in the latest issue of Neurology, India. (Source: TOI, May 21, 2012)





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http://www.neurologyindia.com/article.asp?issn=0028-3886;year=2012;volume=60;issue=1;spage=40;epage=44;aulast=Prasad