Statewide Emergency Medical Services Protocols for Suspected Stroke and Large Vessel Occlusion

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlin C. Chuck ◽  
Thomas J. Martin ◽  
Roshini Kalagara ◽  
Tracy E. Madsen ◽  
Karen L. Furie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Medical Services ◽  
Large Vessel ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Large Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Suspected Stroke

scholarly journals The Maryland Acute Stroke Emergency Medical Services Routing Pilot: Expediting Access to Thrombectomy for Stroke

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor Haight ◽  
Burton Tabaac ◽  
Kelly-Ann Patrice ◽  
Michael S. Phipps ◽  
Jaime Butler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Emergency Medical Services ◽  
Large Vessel ◽  
Large Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Suspected Stroke

Background: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is the standard of care for acute ischemic stroke caused by large vessel occlusion, but is not available at all stroke centers. Transfers between hospitals lead to treatment delays. Transport directly to a facility capable of MT based on a prehospital stroke severity scale score has been recommended, if transportation time is less than 30 min.Aims: We hypothesized that an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) routing algorithm for stroke, using the Los Angeles Motor Scale (LAMS) in the field, would improve time from last known well to MT, without causing patients to miss the IV Thrombolysis (IVT) window.Methods: An EMS algorithm in the Baltimore metro area using the LAMS was implemented. Patients suspected of having an acute stroke were assessed by EMS using the LAMS. Patients scoring 4 or higher and within 20 h from last known well, were transported directly to a Thrombectomy Center, if transport could be completed within 30 min. The algorithm was evaluated retrospectively with prospectively collected data at the Thrombectomy Centers. The primary outcome variables were proportion of patients with suspected stroke rerouted by EMS, proportion of rerouted ischemic stroke patients receiving MT, time to treatment, and whether the IVT window was missed.Results: A total of 303 patients were rerouted out of 2459 suspected stroke patients over a period of 6 months. Of diverted patients, 47% had acute ischemic stroke. Of these, 48% received an acute stroke treatment: 16.8% IVT, 17.5% MT, and 14% MT+IVT. Thrombectomy occurred 119 min earlier in diverted patients compared to patients transferred from other hospitals (P = 0.006). 55.3% of diverted patients undergoing MT and 38.2% of patients transferred from hospital to hospital were independent at 90 days (modified Rankin score 0–2) (P = 0.148). No patient missed the time window for IVT due to the extra travel time.Conclusions: In this retrospective analysis of prospectively acquired data, implementation of a pre-hospital clinical screening score to detect patients with suspected acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion was feasible. Rerouting patients directly to a Thrombectomy Center, based on the EMS algorithm, led to a shorter time to thrombectomy.

scholarly journals Design and validation of a clinical scale for prehospital stroke recognition, severity grading and prediction of large vessel occlusion: the shortened NIH Stroke Scale for emergency medical services

BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. e016893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Christoph Purrucker ◽  
Florian Härtig ◽  
Hardy Richter ◽  
Andreas Engelbrecht ◽  
Johannes Hartmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Medical Services ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Large Vessel ◽  
Receiver Operating Curve ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Large Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Receiver Operating Curve Analysis ◽  
Severity Grading

ObjectiveTo develop an NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS)-compatible, all-in-one scale for rapid and comprehensive prehospital stroke assessment including stroke recognition, severity grading and progression monitoring as well as prediction of large vessel occlusion (LVO).MethodsEmergency medical services (EMS) personnel and stroke physicians (n=326) rated each item of the NIHSS regarding suitability for prehospital use; best rated items were included. Stroke recognition was evaluated retrospectively in 689 consecutive patients with acute stroke or stroke mimics, prediction of LVO in 741 consecutive patients with ischaemic stroke with acute vessel imaging independent of admission NIHSS score.ResultsNine of the NIHSS items were rated as ‘suitable for prehospital use.’ After excluding two items in order to increase specificity, the final scale (termed shortened NIHSS for EMS, sNIHSS-EMS) consists of ‘level of consciousness’, ‘facial palsy’, ‘motor arm/leg’, ‘sensory’, ‘language’ and ‘dysarthria’. Sensitivity for stroke recognition of the sNIHSS-EMS is 91% (95% CI 86 to 94), specificity 52% (95% CI 47 to 56). Receiver operating curve analysis revealed an optimal cut-off point for LVO prediction of ≥6 (sensitivity 70% (95% CI 65 to 76), specificity 81% (95% CI 76 to 84), positive predictive value 70 (95% CI 65 to 75), area under the curve 0.81 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.84)). Test characteristics were non-inferior to non-comprehensive scales.ConclusionsThe sNIHSS-EMS may overcome the sequential use of multiple emergency stroke scales by permitting parallel stroke recognition, severity grading and LVO prediction. Full NIHSS-item compatibility allows for evaluation of stroke progression starting at the prehospital phase.

Abstract WP258: Simulating the Impact of Direct Transport of Patients with Suspected Large Vessel Occlusion to Comprehensive Stroke Centers in a Large Urban Emergency Medical Services System

Stroke ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher T Richards ◽  
Tyler D Hong ◽  
Ashley Lim ◽  
Emma Myers ◽  
Yumeng Nie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Medical Services ◽  
Symptom Onset ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Large Vessel ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Large Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Interfacility Transport

Introduction: One strategy to facilitate timely endovascular revascularization therapy (ERT) is for emergency medical services (EMS) to transport patients with suspected acute ischemic stroke from large vessel occlusion (LVO) directly to comprehensive stroke centers (CSCs), a process that can potentially result in CSC over-triage and tPA delay. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that simulation modeling can identify optimal characteristics of an EMS protocol that directly transports patients with suspected LVO to CSCs. Methods: Simio (Simio LLC, Sewickely, PA) was used to develop and test a simulation model estimating tPA and ERT rates among EMS-transported patients if an EMS preferential triage policy were implemented in a large, urban EMS system with 23 primary stroke centers (PSC) and 7 CSCs. The process map included time from symptom onset to calling 911, stroke severity, accuracy of field LVO identification, scene and interfacility transport times, and time from hospital arrival to treatment. Current state estimates were obtained from the Get With the Guidelines-Stroke registry, into which the EMS system’s PSCs and CSCs report data. Results: Table 1 shows current treatment rates, theoretical maximum treatment rates (if CSC transport time = 0), and treatment and CSC transport rates in simulations varying symptom onset time as a cut-off criterion for direct transport to a CSC rather than a closer PSC. In sensitivity analysis, accuracy of field LVO identification and interfacility transfer time had the largest positive and negative effect, respectively, on the primary outcomes. Conclusions: Direct transport of patients with suspected LVO who have symptom onset greater than 2 hours prior to EMS arrival is predicted to result in high treatment rates with only a modest increase in the number of patients transported to CSCs and without delaying tPA. Accuracy of field LVO identification and interfacility transport processes may be targets for optimizing EMS stroke systems of care.

scholarly journals Emergency medical dispatchers’ ability to identify large vessel occlusion stroke during emergency calls

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauli E. T. Vuorinen ◽  
Jyrki P. J. Ollikainen ◽  
Pasi A. Ketola ◽  
Riikka-Liisa K. Vuorinen ◽  
Piritta A. Setälä ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Large Vessel ◽  
Emergency Call ◽  
Large Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Emergency Response System ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Cortical Ischemia

Abstract Background In acute ischemic stroke, conjugated eye deviation (CED) is an evident sign of cortical ischemia and large vessel occlusion (LVO). We aimed to determine if an emergency dispatcher can recognise LVO stroke during an emergency call by asking the caller a binary question regarding whether the patient’s head or gaze is away from the side of the hemiparesis or not. Further, we investigated if the paramedics can confirm this sign at the scene. In the group of positive CED answers to the emergency dispatcher, we investigated what diagnoses these patients received at the emergency department (ED). Among all patients brought to ED and subsequently treated with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) we tracked the proportion of patients with a positive CED answer during the emergency call. Methods We collected data on all stroke dispatches in the city of Tampere, Finland, from 13 February 2019 to 31 October 2020. We then reviewed all patient records from cases where the dispatcher had marked ‘yes’ to the question regarding patient CED in the computer-aided emergency response system. We also viewed all emergency department admissions to see how many patients in total were treated with MT during the period studied. Results Out of 1913 dispatches, we found 81 cases (4%) in which the caller had verified CED during the emergency call. Twenty-four of these patients were diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke. Paramedics confirmed CED in only 9 (11%) of these 81 patients. Two patients with positive CED answers during the emergency call and 19 other patients brought to the emergency department were treated with MT. Conclusion A small minority of stroke dispatches include a positive answer to the CED question but paramedics rarely confirm the emergency medical dispatcher’s suspicion of CED as a sign of LVO. Few patients in need of MT can be found this way. Stroke dispatch protocol with a CED question needs intensive implementation.

Abstract TP237: Can We Improve Clinical Detection of Right Hemisphere Large Vessel Occlusion?

Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sana Somani ◽  
Melissa Gazi ◽  
Michael Minor ◽  
Joe Acker ◽  
Abimbola Fadairo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Left Hemisphere ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Trauma System ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Large Vessel ◽  
Stroke Severity ◽  
Large Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
The Right

Introduction: The Emergency Medical Stroke Assessment (EMSA) is a six point stroke severity scale with one point each for gaze preference, facial droop, arm drift, leg drift, abnormal naming, and abnormal repetition that was developed to help emergency medical services (EMS) providers identify acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO). We hypothesized that the EMSA would detect left hemisphere LVO with a higher sensitivity than right hemisphere LVO. Methods: We trained 24 trauma system-based emergency communication center (ECC) paramedics in the EMSA. ECC-guided EMS in performance of the EMSA on patients with suspected stroke. We compared the sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC), and 95% confidence interval (CI) of ECC-guided prehospital EMSA for right versus left hemisphere ICA or M1 occlusion. Results: We enrolled 569 patients from September 2016 through February 2018, out of which 236 had a discharge diagnosis of stroke and 173 had a diagnosis of AIS. We excluded patients with bilateral (n=21) and brainstem (n=21) AIS. There were 64 patients with left hemisphere AIS including 19 with LVO. There were 67 patients with right hemisphere AIS including 22 with LVO. A score of ≥ 4 points yielded a sensitivity of 84.2 (95% CI = 60.4-96.6) and specificity of 66.7 (51.1-80.0) for left hemisphere LVO compared to a sensitivity of 68.2 (45.1-86.1) and specificity of 73.9 (58.9-85.7) for right hemisphere LVO. For predicting a left hemisphere LVO, the AUC was 0.77 (0.65-0.90) compared to 0.66 (0.50-0.82) for right-sided LVO. Assigning 2 points for abnormal gaze yielded an AUC of 0.78 (0.66-0.91) versus 0.67 (0.52-0.83) for left and right hemisphere LVO, respectively. Conclusions: The EMSA, like the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) upon which it is based, is more sensitive to left compared to right hemisphere LVO. More heavily weighting abnormal gaze did not improve the sensitivity of the EMSA for right hemisphere LVO. There is no comparable data on the right versus left hemisphere performance of other prehospital scales. There is a need to develop sensitive tests of right hemisphere dysfunction that are suitable for use in the field.

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