The cerebrovascular disease unit at Hospital de L’Aliança in Barcelona (1990)

A. Arboix, J. Massons, M. Oliveres, M. Balcells
Neurosciences and History 2016;4(4):140-147

Type of article: ORIGINAL

AUTHORS

A. Arboix, J. Massons, M. Oliveres, M. Balcells
Cerebrovascular Disease Unit, Department of Neurology. Hospital Universitari del Sagrat Cor, Barcelona, Spain.
In memory of Professor Josep Lluís Martí i Vilalta, a pioneer in the systematic, protocolised study of cerebrovascular diseases.

ABSTRACT

Introduction. The purpose of this study is to analyse training and care provided by the cerebrovascular disease unit at Hospital de L’Aliança in Barcelona. Additionally, we will analyse the role played by this unit in Spain to determine whether it served as a prototype for current stroke units.

Methods. We conducted a literature search in the library of Hospital Universitari del Sagrat Cor and the authors’ private documents to gather information on the creation and opening of the cerebrovascular disease unit at Hospital de L’Aliança.

Results. The cerebrovascular disease unit at Hospital de L’Aliança was created in January 1990 and opened its doors on 5 October 1994. This unit formed part of the neurology department, and it created a stroke registry published in 1993, which included 1000 consecutive patients admitted to hospital between 1986 and 1991. The cerebrovascular disease unit held clinical sessions twice monthly with experts from other institutions.

Conclusions. The cerebrovascular disease unit at Hospital de L’Aliança made systematic and protocolised use of a stroke registry to analyse and study clinical data associated with acute cerebrovascular disease. This unit may be regarded as the first stroke unit in Catalonia and Spain, and one of the pioneer institutions in stroke management along with the stroke units at Hospital Clínico San Carlos (1991) and Hospital Universitario La Paz (1995).

KEYWORDS

Stroke unit, cerebrovascular disease unit, history, cerebrovascular disease, stroke registry

Neurosciences and History 2016;4(4):140-147