Treatment Delays for Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke in a Rural Arkansas Emergency Department: A Retrospective...

Objective The goal of this study is to evaluate treatment times regarding acute ischemic stroke and identify barriers to implementing stroke care at the Ouachita County Medical Center Emergency Department. Methods A retrospective review of medical records was conducted of patients who presented with acute ischemic stroke to the Ouachita County Medical Center Emergency Department between 2020 and 2023 and received intravenous (IV) r-tPA. The primary focus of this study was to analyze door-to-needle time with IV r-tPA. To determine areas of improvement, this study examined door-to-initial physician evaluation, door-to-CT, door-to-tele neurologist evaluation, and door-to-IV r-tPA administration. Results A total of 26 patients who received treatment with IV r-tPA for acute ischemic stroke were included in this study. Twenty-three patients (88%; n=26) received IV- r-tPA within the recommended 60-minute window with a mean treatment time of 44.5 minutes. The mean door-to-physician evaluation time for patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke was 1.81 minutes. All patients received CT scans within 28 minutes of arrival with the mean time being 5.08 minutes. Teleneurologist evaluation was initiated within 59 minutes of presentation with a mean time of 25.19 minutes. Conclusion Evaluation of treatment times at the Ouachita County Medical Center Emergency Department confirms that stroke care received at this facility adheres to the recommendations outlined by the American Stroke Association. Nevertheless, clinicians should always strive for improvement. Through extensive evaluation of the treatment process, we were able to provide recommendations to further decrease treatment times and improve overall clinical outcomes.