Short protocol MRI Brain in clinical evaluation of suspected stroke, a time saver on the timetable?

Ischemic stroke is a major cause of disability and mortality worldwide, with an expected increased demand for imaging. Which approaches the limits of the current diagnostic MRI capacity. Short protocol MRI (sMRI) offers a potential solution by reducing scan times while maintaining diagnostic utility. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness, scan time reduction and diagnostic utility of SMRI in patients admitted with suspected ischemic stroke.

This retrospective cohort study included 400 sMRI scans performed between April 2023 and June 2024 in a non-academic teaching hospital. Patients with haemorrhagic stroke or a history of multiple sclerosis were excluded. Outcomes were scanning time needed, time between admission, compared with a cohort 2022-2023 without short protocol, and MRI and need for additional imaging.

Utilization of a SMRI scan resulted in 62% less total scan time and 47.8% more scan capacity and a median reduction of 26 hours in waiting time during admission. Ischemia was confirmed in 26.8% of cases. Only 2% required additional imaging, with clinically relevant findings in 2 cases (0.5%).

Short protocol MRI significantly reduces scan and waiting time without compromising diagnostic quality in patients admitted with suspected ischemic stroke.

SMRI is a feasible and time efficient imaging strategy for patients admitted with suspected stroke and may contribute to maintaining diagnostic MRI capacity.