World Stroke Day 2021: Improving Triage and Transport Saves Lives

On World Stroke Day, Oct. 29, physicians from the Get Ahead of Stroke® campaign are urging lawmakers to update triage and transport protocols, saying that if the nation's stroke system of care looked more like our trauma triage system, patients would experience less disability, and more would survive.

Nearly 20% of people who experience a stroke — 140,000 annually — die from their condition, and many more are left permanently disabled. It is the leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. The Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS), the sponsoring organization for the Get Ahead of Stroke® campaign, says that, like trauma, better outcomes after a severe stroke depend on how quickly a patient gets appropriate treatment.

"We now have scientifically proven techniques and devices to treat stroke patients by restoring blood flow," said SNIS President Michael Chen, MD. "Where we have to catch up is in state-level policies that stymie first responders from taking patients to Level 1 stroke centers right away. If we could better organize and centralize state-level stroke triage, more patients could be treated sooner, which directly benefits outcomes.

In a severe stroke, a clot blocks blood flow to the brain and deprives millions of brain cells of oxygen, so the key is removing the clot quickly. This can be achieved through mechanical thrombectomy, a minimally invasive procedure that uses a catheter, guided by x-ray, to remove the clot. But this procedure is best done by a specially trained neuroendovascular care team, which only 10% of all stroke centers are capable of providing.

"The fact is that patients often go to a hospital without thrombectomy capability, and then must be transferred to one that has that capability. This wastes precious time," added Dr. Chen. "The trauma system paved the way for patients to get the care they need immediately. This World Stroke Day, we need to better organize and centralize care for stroke patients too."

Get Ahead of Stroke® is currently working to improve stroke care state-by-state through policy changes in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Through its public awareness and advocacy activities, the campaign has meaningfully improved on stroke systems in several states, benefitting thousands of stroke patients.

October 26, 2021