Background and Purpose-Hyperacute assessment and management of patients with stroke, termed code stroke, is a time-sensitive and high-stakes clinical scenario. In the context of the current Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the ability to deliver timely and efficacious care must be balanced with the risk of infectious exposure to the clinical team. Furthermore, rapid and effective stroke care remains paramount to achieve maximal functional recovery for those needing admission and to triage care appropriately for those who may be presenting with neurological symptoms but have an alternative diagnosis. Methods-Available resources, COVID-19-specific infection prevention and control recommendations, and expert consensus were used to identify clinical screening criteria for patients and provide the required nuanced considerations for the healthcare team, thereby modifying the conventional code stroke processes to achieve a protected designation. Results-A protected code stroke algorithm was developed. Features specific to prenotification and clinical status of the patient were used to define precode screening. These include primary infectious symptoms, clinical, and examination features. A focused framework was then developed with regard to a protected code stroke. We outline the specifics of personal protective equipment use and considerations thereof including aspects of crisis resource management impacting team role designation and human performance factors during a protected code stroke. Conclusions-We introduce the concept of a protected code stroke during a pandemic, as in the case of COVID-19, and provide a framework for key considerations including screening, personal protective equipment, and crisis resource management. These considerations and suggested algorithms can be utilized and adapted for local practice. (Stroke.

Objectives Communication among trauma team members in the trauma bay is vulnerable to errors, which may impact patient outcomes. We used the previously validated trauma-non-technical skills (T-NOTECHS) tool to identify communication gaps during patient management in the trauma bay and to inform development strategies to improve team performance. Methods Two reviewers independently assessed non-technical skills of team members through video footage at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Team performance was measured using T-NOTECHS across five domains using a five-point Likert scale (lower score indicating worse performance): (1) leadership; (2) cooperation and resource management; (3) communication and interaction; (4) assessment and decision making; (5) situation awareness/coping with stress. Secondary outcomes assessed the number of callouts, closed loop communications and parallel conversations. Results The study included 55 trauma activations. Injury severity score (ISS) was used as a measure of trauma severity. A case with an ISS score ≥ 16 was considered severe. ISS was ≥ 16 in 37% of cases. Communication and interaction scored significantly lower compared to all other domains ( p < 0.0001). There were significantly more callouts and completed closed loop communications in more severe cases compared to less severe cases ( p = 0.017 for both). Incomplete closed loop communications and parallel conversations were identified, irrespective of case severity. Conclusion A lower communication score was identified using T-NOTECHS, attributed to incomplete closed loop communications and parallel conversations. Through video review of trauma team activations, opportunities for improvement in communication can be identified by the T-NOTECHS tool, as well as specifically identifying callouts and closed loop communication. This process may be useful for trauma programs as part of a quality improvement program on communication skills and team performance. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43678-022-00295-z.

Background and Purpose Management of stroke patients in the acute setting is a high-stakes task with several challenges including the need for rapid assessment and treatment, maintenance of high-performing team dynamics, management of cognitive load affecting providers, and factors impacting team communication. Crisis resource management (CRM) provides a framework to tackle these challenges and is well established in other resuscitative disciplines. The current Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exposed a potential quality gap in emergency preparedness and the ability to adapt to emergency scenarios in real time. Methods Available resources in the literature in other disciplines and expert consensus were used to identify key elements of CRM as they apply to acute stroke management. Results We outline essential ingredients of CRM as a means to mitigate nontechnical challenges providers face during acute stroke care. These strategies include situational awareness, triage and prioritization, mitigation of cognitive load, team member role clarity, communication, and debriefing. Incorporation of CRM along with simulation is an established tool in other resuscitative disciplines and can be incorporated into acute stroke care. Conclusions As stroke care processes evolve during these trying times, the importance of consistent, safe, and efficacious care facilitated by CRM principles offers a unique avenue to alleviate human factors and support high-performing teams.