Getting ahead of stroke

In 2015, multiple randomized controlled trials clearly demonstrated that mechanical thrombectomy could save lives and prevent disability in patients with large vessel acute ischemic stroke. Neurointerventional surgeons and stroke neurologists celebrated a great win for our patients. We soon realized, however, that the hard work of implementation lay ahead. Hospitals and emergency medical services (EMS) were not optimally designed to ensure that patients with a stroke were brought to the right hospital rather than the closest one. These shortcomings resulted in patients unnecessarily being transferred between hospitals to receive optimal stroke care, or worse, never presenting to a hospital capable of treating their large vessel stroke with standard of care. Efficient prehospital pathways and protocols are critical to the outcomes of patients with large vessel strokes. We know that "time is brain".1–3 Direct routing of patients with a large vessel stroke to endovascular...
Source: Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery - Category: Neurosurgery Authors: Tags: Editor ' s column Source Type: research