Acute Ischemic Stroke in the Modern Era: Impact of Stroke Care Regionalization on Evaluation, Documentation and Patient Transport - The Massachusetts General Hospital Experience

Abstract

Study Objectives: Acute ischemic stroke is a neurologically devastating and potentially life-threatening event that requires prompt diagnosis and intervention for improved outcome. In the United States, stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability and the third leading cause of death. With the advent of intraarterial thrombolysis for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke, the therapeutic window for intervention has been extended to 6 hours from the onset of symptoms. Nonetheless, such stringent time constraints have necessitated multi-disciplinary efforts to standardize the rapid evaluation and transport of these patients to regional stroke care centers with thrombolytic therapy capabilities. In this study, we attempt to determine whether increased emphasis on the importance of rapid evaluation and treatment of acute stroke patients has resulted in improved documentation of parameters relevant to their treatment and expeditious evaluation and transport to a regional stroke center.