Open AccessMobile Stroke Unit in the UK Healthcare System: Avoidance of Unnecessary Accident and Emergency Admissions
Author(s) -
Iris Q. Grunwald,
Daniel J. Phillips,
David Sexby,
Viola Wagner,
Martin Lesmeister,
Monika Bachhuber,
Shrey Mathur,
Paul Guyler,
James C. Fisher,
Saman Perera,
Stefan A. Helwig,
Andrea Schottek,
I.A. Ewart,
Nisha Me,
Muhammad Inam Ul Haq,
Daniel Grúň,
Fatma Merzou,
Caroline Howard,
Sarah Mapplebeck,
David Dommett,
Sajid Alam,
Annie Chakrabarti,
Stephen Gerry,
Chris Wiltshire,
Marcus Bailey,
Thomas Bertsch,
Theresa Foster,
Thomas W. Davis,
Wolfgang Reith,
Klaus Faßbender,
Silke Walter
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
cerebrovascular diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.221
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1421-9786
pISSN - 1015-9770
DOI - 10.1159/000508910
Subject(s) - medicine , stroke (engine) , emergency medicine , emergency department , thrombolysis , myocardial infarction , mechanical engineering , psychiatry , engineering
Background: Acute stroke patients are usually transported to the nearest hospital regardless of their required level of care. This can lead to increased pressure on emergency departments and treatment delay. Objective: The aim of the study was to explore the benefit of a mobile stroke unit (MSU) in the UK National Health Service (NHS) for reduction of hospital admissions. Methods: Prospective cohort audit observation with dispatch of the MSU in the East of England Ambulance Service area in Southend-on-Sea was conducted. Emergency patients categorized as code stroke and headache were included from June 5, 2018, to December 18, 2018. Rate of avoided admission to the accident and emergency (A&E) department, rate of admission directly to target ward, and stroke management metrics were assessed. Results: In 116 MSU-treated patients, the following diagnoses were made: acute stroke, n = 33 (28.4%); transient ischaemic attacks, n = 13 (11.2%); stroke mimics, n = 32 (27.6%); and other conditions, n = 38 (32.8%). Pre-hospital thrombolysis was administered to 8 of 28 (28.6%) ischaemic stroke patients. Pre-hospital diagnosis avoided hospital admission for 29 (25.0%) patients. As hospital treatment was indicated, 35 (30.2%) patients were directly triaged to the stroke unit, 1 patient (0.9%) even directly to the catheter laboratory. Thus, only 50 (43.1%) patients required transfer to the A&E department. Moreover, the MSU enabled thrombolysis with a median dispatch-to-needle time of 42 min (interquartile range, 40–60). Conclusion: This first deployment of an MSU in the UK NHS demonstrated improved triage decision-making for or against hospital admission and admission to the appropriate target ward, thereby reducing pressure on strained A&E departments.