Impact of regional pre-hospital emergency medical services in treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Stroke is a major public health concern afflicting an estimated 795,000 Americans annually. The associated morbidity and mortality is staggering. Early treatment with thrombolytics is beneficial. The window for treatment is narrow and minimization of the time from symptom onset to treatment is vital. The general population is not well informed as to the warning signs or symptoms of stroke, leading to substantial delays in emergency medical services (EMS) activation. Ambulance transport of stroke patients to the hospital has demonstrated improvements in key benchmarks such as door to physician evaluation, door to CT initiation, and increased thrombolytic treatment. Pre-hospital notification of the impending arrival of a stroke patient allows for vital preparation in the treating emergency department, and improving timely evaluation and treatment upon arrival of the stroke patient. EMS systems are a vital component of the management of stroke patients, and resources used to improve these systems are beneficial.