Validation of the Italian version of the ROSIER scale for stroke patients at triage.

The ROSIER scale allows rapid evaluation of patients with suspected stroke; this paper presents the validation of an Italian version of the ROSIER scale. Observational study in the emergency department of a major teaching hospital. Patients aged 18 or more, admitted to the emergency department, during a period of two years were enrolled. Construct validity was investigated through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), content validity through the content validity index (CVI-I). Internal consistency, interrater reliability and test-retest stability were assessed. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated. 539 subjects were enrolled. The Italian ROSIER scale (ROSIER-ita) showed a sensitivity of 97.6%, a specificity of 90.1%, a positive predictive value of 97.5% and a negative predictive value of 82.7%. EFA pointed out 1 factor; the ROSIER-ita explained 59.79% of total variance. Content validity was satisfying (CVI-I = 0.97). No significant differences (p = 0.90) were found in the scores of the first 50 recorded at the time of admission and after 10 min. Interrater reliability was excellent (rho = 0.96, p = 0.0066). Cronbach's alpha was 0.74, indicating acceptable correlation between the items. The Italian version of the ROSIER scale showed satisfactory results, comparable to the original English version, and can be applied by emergency nurses. • The ROSIER scale is a useful tool for identifying people with stroke in an emergency department. • The Italian version of the ROSIER scale has good psychometric properties and can be applied to clinical practice. • The ROSIER-ita allows triage nurses to timely route early stroke suspected patients to appropriate therapeutic pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]