Evaluation of the implementation of a rapid response treatment protocol for patients with acute onset stroke: can we increase the number of patients treated and shorten the time needed?

Aims: This study aims to evaluate the implementation of a rapid response treatment protocol for patients presenting with acute onset ischemic stroke. Improvements of routines surrounding the admission and treatment of patients with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), such as door-to-needle (DTN) times, and increasing the numbers of patients treated are discussed.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients (n = 320) treated with IVT for acute onset ischemic stroke at the Stavanger University Hospital, Norway, between 2003 and 2012. In 2009, a succession of changes to pre- and intra-hospital routines were made as well as an improvement in the education of primary health care physicians, nurses and paramedics involved in the treatment of acute onset stroke patients (rapid response treatment protocol). Analyses of DTN times, onset-to-needle times and the number of patients treated per year were carried out to ascertain the effect of the changes made. The primary aim was to analyze DTN times to look for any changes, and the secondary aim was to analyze changes in the number of patients treated per year.

Results: In the years after the implementation of the rapid treatment protocol, we saw an improvement in the median DTN time with a decrease from 73 to 50 min in the first year (p = 0.03), a decrease of 45 min in the second year (p = 0.01) and a decrease of 31 min in the third year (p < 0.001). Similarly, an improvement in the number of patients treated per year was seen after enhancements in the treatment chain were made. A significant, 27-fold increase was shown when the number of patients treated in 2012 was compared with all patients treated in all years prior to the implementation of the rapid treatment protocol.

Conclusions: The implementation of the rapid treatment protocol for acute onset ischemic stroke patients led to a significant decrease in the DTN time at our center. These improvements also produced an increase in the number of patients treated per year. The extension of the therapeutic window from 3 to 4.5 h for the use of intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator also played a role in the increased treatment numbers.