[A national quality registry shows differences when it comes to stroke care].

Approximately 20,000 stroke events, or three quarters of all stroke events in Sweden are included in Riks-Stroke, the National quality Register for Stroke Care, each year. Results from Riks-Stroke show that women, in comparison with men, are more often living in institutions three months after stroke. Women also less often receive secondary stroke prevention. Oral anticoagulants are the most efficient way to prevent stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. There are wide variations in the use of oral anticoagulants in stroke patients with atrial fibrillation, not only between hospitals, but also between counties and health care regions. Riks-Stroke verifies that treatment in stroke units improves survival as well as functional outcome after stroke. Still more than one quarter of all stroke patients do not receive care in a stroke unit. Post-stroke fatigue is an unexplored long-term consequence that is frequent even late after stroke. It is also an independent predictor for functional dependence, institutional living and death late after stroke. Stroke care in Sweden has improved dramatically the last decades. However, results from Riks-Stroke indicated that there still are several differences and weaknesses and there are subsequently still room for improvements.