["Save the brain"-network in the county of Uppsala for thrombolytic therapy in stroke]

"Save the brain" is a network for thrombolysis of stroke in the Uppsala County, Sweden. The network involves the ambulance services, the emergency ward, and the departments of medicine and neurology. The county has 298,655 inhabitants. During one year, 2001-2002, 184 "save the brain" transports were performed. After an initial clinical examination at the emergency ward, 67 of these patients (36%) were investigated with hyperacute CT. After a second clinical examination, 13 patients (19%) received intravenous thrombolysis. The time lag from onset of symptoms to thrombolysis varied from one and a half hour to four hours.