Document Type

Abstract

Publication Date

2-2021

Academic Year

2020-2021

Abstract

Acute ischemic strokes (AIS) are a prominent cause of death and have the potential to cause lifelong neurological deficits. We hypothesize that through telestroke intervention, patients will receive treatment more rapidly and therefore have reduced complications as a result of AIS. To analyze the efficacy of telestroke intervention, we completed a retrospective chart review of suspected AIS patients at hospitals in the greater Philadelphia region from 2015-2019. We then assessed whether a patient received a telestroke consultation and any subsequent care. Several variables were then used to determine the effectiveness of this intervention, such as the promptness of treatment, length of stay in the hospital, and the need for surgical intervention. The total study cohort included 9072 patients, with 811 (8.9%) patients fulfilling the criteria to receive tPA therapy. For patients with a known time of onset, the average amount of time to receive a consultation was 227 minutes, within the 4.5-hour time frame needed for tPA administration. Furthermore, a total of 195 (2.1%) patients experienced a major complication and 155 (1.7%) patients expired despite receiving telestroke intervention. This large cohort is further evidence that quicker access to neurological consultation results in more prompt treatment and an increase in positive patient outcomes. Additionally, we expect this study will push the medical field towards more widespread use of telemedicine; an especially relevant topic as medicine becomes more reliant on technology in the face of potential public health crises.

Language

English

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