Mobile stroke units: taking stroke care to the patient

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Emergency Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and endovascular revascularization improve functional outcomes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) when administered early.
• Current treatment delays mean less than one-third of eligible AIS patients receive tPA within 60 minutes of hospital arrival.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the impact of mobile stroke units (MSUs) on reducing treatment times and improving outcomes for acute ischemic stroke (AIS).
• To explore the potential future applications of MSUs in acute neurological care.

Main Methods:

• Review of data from the Get with the Guidelines Stroke registry.
• Analysis of the impact of mobile stroke unit (MSU) implementation on treatment timelines and patient outcomes.

Main Results:

• Mobile stroke units (MSUs) reduce the time from stroke alarm to treatment by 25-40 minutes.
• MSUs increase the rate of intravenous tPA administration without increasing hemorrhage risk.
• MSUs are associated with improved three-month favorable outcomes for AIS patients.

Conclusions:

• Mobile stroke units (MSUs) facilitate earlier diagnosis and treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS), leading to better patient outcomes.
• MSUs show promise for expanded use in other neurological emergencies, remote care, and triage for endovascular therapy.
• Further research is needed to fully elucidate the health-economic benefits of MSUs.