BACKGROUND: In this feasibility study, we tested whether prehospital diagnostic stroke workup enables rational decision-making regarding treatment and the target hospital in persons with suspected stroke. METHODS: A mobile stroke unit that delivers imaging (including multimodal brain imaging with CT angiography and CT perfusion), point-of-care-laboratory analysis, and neurologic expertise directly at the emergency site was analyzed for its use in prehospital diagnosis-based triage of suspected stroke patients. RESULTS: We present 4 complementary cases with suspected stroke who underwent prehospital diagnostic workup that enabled direct diagnosis-based treatment decisions and reliable triage regarding the most appropriate medical facility for that individual, e.g., a primary hospital vs specialized centers of a tertiary hospital. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary report demonstrates the feasibility of prehospital diagnostic stroke workup for immediate etiology-specific decision-making regarding the necessary time-sensitive stroke treatment and the most appropriate target hospital.
BACKGROUND: In this feasibility study, we tested whether prehospital diagnostic stroke workup enables rational decision-making regarding treatment and the target hospital in persons with suspected stroke. METHODS: A mobile stroke unit that delivers imaging (including multimodal brain imaging with CT angiography and CT perfusion), point-of-care-laboratory analysis, and neurologic expertise directly at the emergency site was analyzed for its use in prehospital diagnosis-based triage of suspected strokepatients. RESULTS: We present 4 complementary cases with suspected stroke who underwent prehospital diagnostic workup that enabled direct diagnosis-based treatment decisions and reliable triage regarding the most appropriate medical facility for that individual, e.g., a primary hospital vs specialized centers of a tertiary hospital. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary report demonstrates the feasibility of prehospital diagnostic stroke workup for immediate etiology-specific decision-making regarding the necessary time-sensitive stroke treatment and the most appropriate target hospital.
Authors: Tzu-Ching Wu; Claude Nguyen; Christy Ankrom; Julian Yang; David Persse; Farhaan Vahidy; James C Grotta; Sean I Savitz Journal: Stroke Date: 2014-06-17 Impact factor: 7.914
Authors: Seyed Reza Atefi; Fernando Seoane; Shervin Kamalian; Eric S Rosenthal; Michael H Lev; Giorgio Bonmassar Journal: Med Phys Date: 2016-02 Impact factor: 4.071
Authors: A Haass; S Walter; A Ragoschke-Schumm; I Q Grunwald; M Lesmeister; A V Khaw; K Fassbender Journal: Nervenarzt Date: 2014-02 Impact factor: 1.214
Authors: Polly Scutt; Jason P Appleton; Mark Dixon; Lisa J Woodhouse; Nikola Sprigg; Joanna M Wardlaw; Alan A Montgomery; Stuart Pocock; Philip M Bath Journal: Eur Stroke J Date: 2018-02-01