Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33608393›Full record

SynthesisEmergency medicine journal : EMJ2021

Characteristics of patients who had a stroke not initially identified during emergency prehospital assessment: a systematic review.

Stephanie P Jones, Janet E Bray, Josephine Me Gibson, Graham McClelland, Colette Miller, Chris I Price, Caroline L Watkins

Open access · hybridAbstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Emergency medicine journal : EMJ, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
30citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
4.2field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

30 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 44 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. LiVE-STROKE: live video from bystander to the medical dispatcher in potential stroke cases.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2026
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. [Diagnostic tools for stroke detection-from prehospital to diagnosis].Medizinische Klinik, Intensivmedizin und Notfallmedizin · 2025
    Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Stephanie P JonesFaculty of Health and Care, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK sjones10@uclan.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9149-8606
Janet E BrayDepartment of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Josephine Me GibsonFaculty of Health and Care, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK.
Graham McClellandResearch and Development, North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4502-5821
Colette MillerFaculty of Health and Care, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK.
Chris I PriceInstitute of Neuroscience (Stroke Research Group), Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3566-3157
Caroline L WatkinsFaculty of Health and Care, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK.
University of Lancashire · GBMonash University · AUNewcastle University · GBNorth East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAround 25% of patients who had a stroke do not present with typical 'face, arm, speech' symptoms at onset, and are challenging for emergency medical services (EMS) to identify. The aim of this systematic review was to identify the characteristics of acute stroke presentations associated with inaccurate EMS identification (false negatives).

methodWe performed a systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PubMed from 1995 to August 2020 using key terms: stroke, EMS, paramedics, identification and assessment. Studies included: patients who had a stroke or patient records; ≥18 years; any stroke type; prehospital assessment undertaken by health professionals including paramedics or technicians; data reported on prehospital diagnostic accuracy and/or presenting symptoms. Data were extracted and study quality assessed by two researchers using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies V.2 tool.

resultsOf 845 studies initially identified, 21 observational studies met the inclusion criteria. Of the 6934 stroke and Transient Ischaemic Attack patients included, there were 1774 (26%) false negative patients (range from 4 (2%) to 247 (52%)). Commonly documented symptoms in false negative cases were speech problems (n=107; 13%-28%), nausea/vomiting (n=94; 8%-38%), dizziness (n=86; 23%-27%), changes in mental status (n=51; 8%-25%) and visual disturbance/impairment (n=43; 13%-28%).

conclusionSpeech problems and posterior circulation symptoms were the most commonly documented symptoms among stroke presentations that were not correctly identified by EMS (false negatives). However, the addition of further symptoms to stroke screening tools requires valuation of subsequent sensitivity and specificity, training needs and possible overuse of high priority resources.

Indexed as

Diagnostic ErrorsEmergency Medical TechniciansEmergency Service, HospitalHumansIschemic Attack, TransientObservational Studies as TopicRetrospective StudiesStrokediagnosispre-hospitalstroke

Identifiers

PMID33608393
PMCPMC8077214
OpenAlexW3132479177

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.