"Our study confirmed that patients who are treated early benefit from a complete reversal of stroke symptoms and avoidance of disability. This suggests that in the first hour after a stroke occurs, the brain is not yet irreversibly damaged and is very amenable to effective treatment.2
Mobile stroke units are special ambulances equipped to diagnose and treat stroke quickly. When a stroke is caused by a blood clot blocking an artery in or leading to the brain (anischemic stroke), the team on board the mobile stroke unit can treat the patient right away with a clot-dissolving medication called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA).
This research, which is part of the ongoing, national BEST-MSU study, examined data from 1,047 patients who suffered an ischemic stroke and were eligible for tPA treated at seven U.S. centers between 2014 and 2020. Researchers compared outcomes of stroke patients brought to the emergency department by mobile stroke unit versus those who arrived by standard emergency medical services (617 patients via mobile stroke unit, and 430 patients via standard ambulance).
"Our results mean that, on average, for every 100 patients treated on a mobile stroke unit rather than standard ambulance, 27 will have less final disability and 11 of the 27 will be disability-free,” Grotta said. “But for this to happen, patients, caregivers and bystanders need to recognize the signs of stroke and call 9-1-1 immediately."
"More widespread deployment of mobile stroke units may have a major public health impact on reducing disability from stroke,” said Grotta. “Although mobile stroke units are costly to equip and staff, they reduce the time to treatment. We also expect that more treatment via mobile stroke units can reduce the need for downstream utilization of long-term care."
More research is ongoing by Grotta and his team to assess health care utilization over the entire year following their patients’ strokes which will enable a better idea of the cost effectiveness of mobile stroke unit implementation on a wider scale. The American Heart Association’s 2019 Recommendations for the Establishment of Stroke Systems of Caresuggests reimbursement is an issue that warrants further investigation before widespread use of mobile stroke units is likely.
According to the American Heart Association’s Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics — 2021 Update, when considered separately from other CVD, stroke ranks No. 5 among all causes of death in the U.S., causing 147,810 deaths in 2018. Stroke occurs when a blood vessel to or in the brain either becomes blocked or bursts, preventing blood and oxygen from reaching all of the brain. Treatment to quickly restore blood flow to the brain is essential to improve outcomes and survival.
To recognize stroke symptoms requiring immediate treatment, the American Stroke Association recommends everyone remember the acronymF.A.S.T.for face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, time to call 9-1-1. Fortunately, most strokes are preventable through healthy lifestyle choices: not smoking; eating healthy foods; being physically active; maintaining a healthy body weight; and controlling high blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure.
MEDICA-tradefair.com; Source: American Heart Association