At the start of my neurology residency, I strove for organization and efficiency in my evaluation of patients in the emergency ward. Unfortunately, I often found myself frantically searching through a disorganized stash of sheets and handouts for protocols on treating status epilepticus, calculating a stroke scale, or testing visual acuity. I yearned for an efficient method to rapidly access neurologic reference information. The Neuro Toolkit app for the iPhone and iPad provides such a solution at a competitive price for residents and fellows ($2.99). Unlike bulkier applications that take several seconds to load and update, Neuro Toolkit launches instantaneously to an opening screen with 8 self-explanatory icons that neatly organize a set of medical calculators (e.g., corrected phenytoin levels, ABCD2 TIA scale), clinical scoring scales (e.g., Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Expanded Disability Status Scale), and other reference information (e.g., McDonald criteria, American Academy of Neurology brain death criteria, antiepileptic drug dosing). My personal favorites are the Snellen Eye Chart and NIH Stroke Scale, the latter of which allows quick access to the standardized images and phrases to screen for dysarthria, aphasia, or visual neglect. The creator of Neuro Toolkit, Kent Ellington, regularly updates the application based on user feedback. The current version could be improved by adding a dermatome map, Ishihara plates, and the spinal and nerve innervations of common muscle groups. I recommend Neuro Toolkit to all neurology practitioners as an up-to-date, simple, and straightforward app that will assist in the evaluation of patients in a wide range of settings, from the emergency room to the outpatient clinic.
Footnotes
The author reports no disclosures relevant to the manuscript. Go to Neurology.org for full disclosures.
- Copyright © 2012 by AAN Enterprises, Inc.
Letters: Rapid online correspondence
REQUIREMENTS
You must ensure that your Disclosures have been updated within the previous six months. Please go to our Submission Site to add or update your Disclosure information.
Your co-authors must send a completed Publishing Agreement Form to Neurology Staff (not necessary for the lead/corresponding author as the form below will suffice) before you upload your comment.
If you are responding to a comment that was written about an article you originally authored:
You (and co-authors) do not need to fill out forms or check disclosures as author forms are still valid
and apply to letter.
Submission specifications:
- Submissions must be < 200 words with < 5 references. Reference 1 must be the article on which you are commenting.
- Submissions should not have more than 5 authors. (Exception: original author replies can include all original authors of the article)
- Submit only on articles published within 6 months of issue date.
- Do not be redundant. Read any comments already posted on the article prior to submission.
- Submitted comments are subject to editing and editor review prior to posting.
You May Also be Interested in
Alert Me
Recommended articles
A resident boot camp for reducing door-to-needle times at academic medical centers
Predictive value of ABCD2 and ABCD3-I scores in TIA and minor stroke in the stroke unit setting
Early clinical worsening in patients with TIA or minor stroke
Pilot study of volume contracted state and hospital outcome after stroke