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Background and purpose: The aim was to assess the feasibility and safety of fast‐track hospitalizations in a selected cohort of patients with stroke. Methods: Patients hospitalized at the Stroke Center of the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland, with an acute ischaemic stroke confirmed on magnetic resonance diffusion‐weighted imaging were included. Neurological deficits of the included patients were non‐disabling, i.e. not interfering with activities of daily living and compatible with a direct discharge home. Patients with premorbid disability were excluded. All patients were admitted to the Stroke Center for ≥24 h. Two study groups were compared – fast‐track hospitalizations (≤72 h) and long‐term hospitalizations (>72 h). The primary end‐point was a composite of any unplanned rehospitalization for any reason within 3 months since hospital discharge and a modified Rankin Scale 3–6 at 3 months. Adjustment for confounders was done using the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTW). Results: Amongst the 521 patients who met the inclusion criteria, fast‐track hospitalizations were performed in 79 patients (15%). In the fast‐track group, seven patients (8.9%) met the primary end‐point, compared to 37 (8.4%) in the long‐term group [odds ratio (OR) 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.42–2.34, P = 0.88]. After weighting for IPTW, the odds of the primary end‐point remained similar between the two arms (ORIPTW 1.27, 95% CI 0.51–3.16, P = 0.61). The costs of fast‐track hospitalizations were lower, on average, by $4994. Conclusions: Fast‐track hospitalizations including a full workup proved to be feasible, showed no increased risk and were less expensive than long‐term hospitalizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ultra-high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at a field strength of 7 Tesla (T) has marked a significant milestone in diagnostic imaging since it was approved for clinical use in 2017. Despite the potential to improve image analysis by advances in signal-to-noise ratio, and improved spatial resolution and metabolic imaging, the clinical implementation of 7-T MRI remains limited. Factors that contribute to this limited availability are the high price, the operating costs, the need for specifically educated personnel, and lack of evidence of clinical benefit., Methods: The aim of this scoping review was to evaluate the evidence of the clinical advantages of 7-T MRI versus MRI at lower field strengths, complementary imaging modalities, and diagnostic standard approaches for neurological and musculoskeletal disorders. We searched MEDLINE, CENTRAL, Embase and Web of Science for this review., Results: We identified 1966 studies, of which 83 were included in our review. Most studies (73 studies, 88%) examined neurological indications, nine studies (11%) examined musculoskeletal indications, and one study reported on peripheral arterial occlusive disease. Of the neuroimaging indications, cerebrovascular diseases were the most frequently investigated (14 studies), followed by multiple sclerosis (13 studies) and epilepsy (11 studies)., Conclusion: The available comparative evidence varied greatly across indications, with the best-documented evidence being for imaging of epilepsy. Risk of bias overall was high, with limitations in blinding information, study design reporting, and patient recruitment details. The identified evidence gaps underscore the need for comparative research to determine appropriate indications and to understand whether the potential diagnostic advantage of 7-T MRI translates to a tangible clinical benefit for patients. Future studies should include clinically relevant patient outcomes that go beyond radiological metrics., (© 2024 The Author(s). European Journal of Neurology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Academy of Neurology.)