Talk About Thrombolysis. Regular Case-Based Discussions of Stroke Thrombolysis Improve Door-to-Needle Time by 20

The outcome of stroke patients can be improved by a rapid initiation of thrombolytic therapy. Here, we sought to determine whether an additional simple but thorough case-based discussion of recent thrombolysed cases with the entire neurologic staff can improve the door-to-needle time without changes to the implemented stroke protocol.

For every performed thrombolysis, a route card, consisting of a timeline with 3 time points and target times, had to be completed by the attending neurologist. Times and reasons for delays were noted. All thrombolysed cases were then reviewed in a 14-day-rhythm with the entire neurologic staff. The responsible stroke consultant gave details and reasons for delays. Possibilities to avoid delays were then discussed with the whole team. All thrombolyses were prospectively recorded and compared with thrombolyses of the 2 preinterventional years. The primary outcome parameter was the door-to-needle time.

The door-to-needle time decreased from 37 minutes in the preintervention period (N = 154) to 28 minutes during the intervention (N = 97; P < .001). Performance was improved for residents (<6 years of neurologic training) as well as for the specialists (>6 years of neurologic training). Improvements in the performance of specialists were significantly greater than those of residents.

The present study demonstrates improved treatment of stroke patients by a simple, non-time-consuming intervention that combines education with a potential increase in staff motivation. This intervention is effective in a tertiary academic stroke center with a previously implemented sophisticated stroke protocol but should also improve treatment delays in primary stroke centers.