Source: Medical Xpress and by American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
Minutes matter when a patient may have had a stroke, but being far from a physician with advanced training in neurology no longer needs to be a barrier to rapid diagnosis and intervention.
Telestroke programs are designed to improve access to the limited number of specialists, regardless of the geographic isolation of patients who may have experienced a stroke. Telestroke, or stroke telemedicine, is a form of telehealth in which physicians with advanced training in stroke care use technology to provide immediate consultation to a local health care professional to recommend diagnostic imaging and treatment for patients with stroke at an originating site.
Patients who present within 4.5 hours of when they were last known to be well may be eligible for thrombolytic drug therapy or endovascular intervention, often measured as door-to-needle time.
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