More Timely Treatment for Potential Stroke Patients Arriving by Ambulance

A study out of North Carolina has found that patients with stroke symptoms receive brain scans more quickly when brought to the hospital by ambulance, compared to arrival by a personal car or taxi. For possible stroke patients, brain scans are necessary to diagnose whether or not a stroke has occurred. When a stroke or other condition as been diagnosed, the patient can receive the correct treatment more quickly.

The study, which included 14,000 patients, found that on average, brain scans took place more than 72 minutes after the patient arrived when coming by either a personal vehicle or car service. When patients arrived by ambulance and the hospital had been notified en route, brain scans were completed in less than 48 minutes.

Current guidelines recommend that possible stroke patients receive a brain scan within 25 minutes of hospital arrival. It is also recommended that doctors interpret the results within 20 minutes of the scan being performed. This study found that patients who arrived via ambulance were twice as likely to get a brain scan within the recommended 25 minute window. In addition, when the hospital was alerted by the ambulance that a possible stroke patient was coming, patients were nearly three times more likely to get a brain scan in the recommended time.

According to the American Stroke Association, almost 800,000 people suffer a stroke each year in the United States. Of those, more than one in six patients dies as a result of their stroke.

If you or a loved one has experienced a failure do diagnose or treat a stroke in a timely manner, call or email the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today for a free case evaluation. One of our experienced attorneys will review your Queens stroke malpractice, Brooklyn stroke malpractice, Bronx stroke malpractice, Manhattan stroke malpractice or Long Island stroke malpractice case and answer any questions you may have.

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