DAANISH: A mnemonic to aid in memorizing and recalling important strategies contributing to the prevention of perioperative stroke.

Abstract

Background: Perioperative stroke, defined as a stroke occurring within 30 days post-surgery, typically emerges within the first week. The incidence of perioperative stroke among adults undergoing non-cardiac and non-neurological surgeries ranges from 0.1% to 1% after a surgical intervention. Mortality rates following perioperative stroke surge, reaching up to eight times higher than controls, with approximately one in four cases resulting in death. Fortunately, various strategies are available to potentially prevent perioperative strokes. However, the vast amount of data poses challenges for physicians in memorization and recall for clinical use. This study aims to summarize essential perioperative stroke prevention strategies and determine an effective mnemonic for their memorization and recall.

Method: The initial search in PubMed focused solely on review articles published within the last 10 years. It utilized the keywords "perioperative stroke" and "prevention."

Results: An initial search found 39 articles, with two suitable for review. Using data from selected review articles, further searches were conducted on Google Scholar and PubMed for articles from 2000 to 2024, identifying 30 additional suitable references. From these 32 articles, the author developed a mnemonic, "DAANISH," to aid in remembering strategies for preventing perioperative stroke.

Conclusion: Implementing this mnemonic may help reduce the risk of perioperative stroke and improve patient outcomes. Future research is needed to confirm its effectiveness.