Stroke patients are more likely to recover sooner if they are admitted to hospitals with specialized stroke department that are basically called primary stroke centers - new study finds.
Dr. Kimon Bekelis, from the Department of Neurosurgery Dartmouth-Hitchcock School of Medicine, said that Stroke treatment is very sensitive and that you need to intervene at the fastest possible pace. The study showed that the benefit of stroke centers is limited to patients who are rushed within 90 minutes to the center.
Bekelis and the team seek to optimize access to Primary Stroke Center. The expansion is envisioned to be covering trauma care using the finest utilization of air services. With the current PSC locations, they wish to expand access within this time frame to accommodate all stroke patients. Other potential solutions include the expanding telemedicine applications, developing smaller hospitals into Acute Stroke Ready Hospitals, and building broader hospital networks.
A study on the comparison of outcomes of patients with inpatient or outpatient onset ischemic stroke by Bekelis' team finds that, "Using a comprehensive all-payer cohort of patients with ischemic stroke in New York State, we identified an association of inpatient stroke onset with fewer stroke-related interventions and increased mortality, rate of discharge to rehabilitation, and Length of Stay (LOS)." Better recovery is therefore attained successfully in the PSC, especially if the equipment is complete and upgraded.
Stroke is among the leading causes of death and long-term disability in America. PSCs are of great help to shorten the travel to the hospital. Being the backbone by The Joint Commission, there is maximization of patient outcomes happening.
As of today, there are 1,000 certified primary stroke centers in 49 states and also in Puerto Rico. These centers are of great help to stroke victims and surely they need better funding to help more patients.
