Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 4, 2025
Setting Up a Stroke Team Algorithm and Conducting Simulation-based Training in the Emergency Department - A Practical Guide
Published on: January 15, 2017
Mobile Stroke Units: Current Evidence and Impact
Praveen Hariharan1, Muhammad Bilal Tariq1, James C Grotta2
1Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center, 6431 Fannin St, MSB 7.044, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Purpose Of Review:
Several approaches have been developed to optimize prehospital systems for acute stroke given poor access and significant delays to timely treatment. Specially equipped ambulances that directly initiate treatment, known as Mobile Stroke Units (MSUs), have rapidly proliferated across the world. This review provides a comprehensive summary on the efficacy of MSUs in acute stroke, its various applications beyond thrombolysis, as well as the establishment, optimal setting and cost-effectiveness of incorporating an MSU into healthcare systems.
Recent Findings:
MSUs speed stroke treatment into the first "golden hour" when better outcomes from thrombolysis are achieved. While evidence for the positive impact of MSUs on outcomes was previously unavailable, two recent landmark controlled trials, B_PROUD and BEST-MSU, show that MSUs result in significantly lesser disability compared to conventional ambulance care. Emerging literature prove the significant impact of MSUs. Adaptability however remains limited by significant upfront financial investment, challenges with reimbursements and pending evidence on their cost-effectiveness.
