Abstract W P240: The Effect of Telestroke Network on Tissue Plasminogen Activator Utilization and Door to Needle Time on Rural Hospitals.

Abstract

Introduction: Stroke is the 4 th leading cause of death in the United States. Only 2-3% of ischemic stroke patients are receiving Tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) despite an increase in time window to 4.5 hours. With less than 85% of the US population living within 30 minutes of primary stroke centers, it is important to review the effectiveness of telestroke network in delivering t-PA. The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (OSUWMC) Telestroke network was established in May 2011. Currently the network expands across 24 spokes located in rural central Ohio. Most of these centers have not given t-PA prior to joining the network. Objective: Evaluate the effectiveness of the OSUWMC telestroke in delivering t-PA for acute ischemic stroke in a rural setting and compare the stroke quality metrics to Ohio Coverdell registered Hospitals. Methods: We conducted a retrospective data review from the OSUWMC Telestroke Network database from May 22, 2011 to November 30, 2012. This included demographics, diagnostic impression, NIHSS score, average symptom onset to ED arrival, average door to CT time, average consult duration. t-PA administration and transfer status to OSUMWC were also collected. Summary statistics were generated using Microsoft Excel (version 2010, Microsoft Corporation) and SAS (version 9.3, SAS Institute). Results: In this study, a total of 422 Telestroke consultations were completed. 180 patients were diagnosed with ischemic stroke (57.5%). Average NIHSS score was 5 ±6, average symptom onset to ED arrival time was 4 hours 26 minutes (n=378), and the average door to CT time was 26 minutes (n=204). Forty-four percent (n=80) were approved to receive IV t-PA; 60% within one hour of ED arrival. From this number of patients thirty percent received t-PA within one hour compared to 38% in Ohio Coverdell hospitals. Conclusion: The implementation of telestroke network can deliver care that is equivalent to primary stroke centers. This approach may be an effective tool for rapid evaluation of patients in remote hospitals that require neurologic specialists.