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Stroke mortality is being considered in models to measure quality of care in hospitals. Some evidence suggests that unmeasured factors such as stroke severity can affect mortality (JW Neurol Aug 7 2012). Now, researchers have examined the effect that withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments has on short-term stroke mortality, by investigating the 37 stroke deaths that occurred at one hospital or during postdischarge hospice care in 2009.
Of the 37 deaths, 36 occurred after avoidance or withdrawal of life support, based on the patient's or family's decision. Three neurologists at the center who were not otherwise involved in the study judged that about 40% of these short-term deaths might have been avoided if life support had been used or con…