Australian Paediatric Acute Code Stroke (PACS) Study
- Project status: Active
Research area: Clinical Sciences > Neuroscience
Australian Paediatric Acute Code Stroke (PACS) Study
Closing the inequity gap between adults and children in best practice stroke care.
Our vision is to improve health outcomes of Australian children affected by stroke by narrowing the gap between adults and children in accessing life-changing treatments.
Closing the inequity gap between adults and children in best practice stroke care.
Our vision is to improve health outcomes of Australian children affected by stroke by narrowing the gap between adults and children in accessing life-changing treatments.
Closing the inequity gap between adults and children in best practice stroke care.
Our vision is to improve health outcomes of Australian children affected by stroke by narrowing the gap between adults and children in accessing life-changing treatments.
Each year up to 600 Australian children suffer a stroke; one in 20 die and more than half of survivors will experience long-term impairments.
Time-critical clot-busting reperfusion therapies that minimise or prevent permanent injury to the brain are the most effective ways to change the lives of Australian children affected by stroke. However, there is a huge gap between adults and children in accessing these interventions.
The Stroke Foundation is partnering with Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and researchers, health professionals, industry and patients to transform the care of children with stroke by dramatically decreasing time to diagnosis and increasing the number of children receiving reperfusion therapies.
This will be achieved through the design, development and implementation of a world-first national Paediatric Acute Code Stroke (PACS) protocol, employing innovative decision support tools and advanced imaging technologies.
Our vision is to improve the health outcomes of Australian children affected by stroke by narrowing the gap between adults and children in accessing life-changing treatments.
More information
The PACS Study is a staged, two-tiered pre-and post-intervention study. The staged interventions will be used to evaluate paediatric acute code stroke protocols to improve child stroke treatment.
Stage 1: Pre-implementation phase & data collection (retrospective and prospective)
Six tertiary paediatric hospitals (Group 1) will develop institutional paediatric acute code stroke protocols. Clinical leads will establish key stakeholder multidisciplinary working groups to develop such protocols. Current practice will be evaluated and site-specific analysis of barriers and enablers to rapid diagnosis will be identified.
Three tertiary paediatric hospitals (Group 2) with established paediatric acute code stroke protocols will partner with adult comprehensive stroke centres and state ambulance services to investigate a suite of proven adult stroke interventions. These include clot retrieval protocols, automated perfusion imaging, ambulance protocols, stroke decision support tools and stroke telemedicine.
Stage 2: Implementation phase & prospective data collection
Staged implementation of the suite of adult interventions will occur at Group 2 sites with established paediatric acute code stroke protocols and implementation of paediatric acute code stroke protocols at Group 1 sites without paediatric acute code stroke protocols.
Stage 3: Data analysis & write-up
Quantifying the impact of institutional paediatric acute code stroke protocols and a suite of interventions at respective centres.
Research team
| Team member | Role |
|---|---|
| Associate Professor Mark Mackay | Chief Principal Investigator, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital |
| Professor Franz Babl | Principal Investigator, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital |
| Belinda Stojanovski | Stroke Clinical Nurse Consultant, PACS Study National Coordinator |
| Dr Nicola Fearn | PhD Candidate, The Royal Children's Hospital |
| Professor Michael Fahey | Principal Investigator, Monash Children’s Hospital |
| Dr Ian Andrews | Principal Investigator, Sydney Children's Hospital Network |
| Dr Christopher Troedson | Principal Investigator, Sydney Children's Hospital Network |
| Dr Christina Miteff | Principal Investigator, John Hunter Children's Hospital |
| Dr Adriane Sinclair | Principal Investigator, Queensland Children's Hospital |
| Dr Clair Pridmore | Principal Investigator, Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide |
| Dr Snehal Shah | Principal Investigator, Perth Children's Hospital |
| Dr Claire Spooner | Principal Investigator, Starship Children's Hospital, New Zealand |
| Professor Bruce Campbell | Principal Investigator, The Royal Melbourne Hospital |
| Professor Leonid Churilov | Principal Investigator, The University of Melbourne |
| Professor Marj Moodie | Principal Investigator, Deakin University |
Expert Advisory Groups
The Expert Advisory Groups will oversee and provide discipline-specific input into the PACS Study and support study sites with the development and implementation of their acute code stroke protocols. The Expert Advisory Groups will provide feedback to the Steering Committee to inform ongoing activities of the PACS Study.
Lived Experience Advisory Group
The Lived Experience Advisory Group will represent the interests and viewpoints of the childhood stroke community across Australia. They will provide leadership to achieve the goals and outcomes of Stroke Foundation childhood stroke activities and projects. The group will provide a lived experience voice and represents the needs of childhood survivors of stroke, their families and carers.
Thanks to our key partners, funders, and supporters.
Funding
- Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF)
Collaborations
- Stroke Foundation
- The Royal Children's Hospital
- Monash Children's Hospital
- Sydney Children's Hospital Network
- John Hunter Children's Hospital
- Queensland Children's Hospital
- Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide
- Perth Children's Hospital
- Starship Children's Hospital
- The Royal Melbourne Hospital
- The University of Melbourne
- Deakin University
- Ambulance Victoria
Contact us
PACS Study
Murdoch Children's Research Institute
The Royal Children's Hospital
50 Flemington Road
Parkville VIC 3052
Australia
Belinda Stojanovski
Stroke Clinical Nurse Consultant / National Coordinator PACS Study
Phone: show phone number
Email: [email protected]
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