Workflow and Short-Term Functional Outcomes in Simultaneous Acute Code Stroke Activation and Stroke Reperfusion Therapy

Abstract

The burden of simultaneous acute code stroke activation (ACSA) is not known. We aim to assess the effect of simultaneous ACSA on workflow metrics and home time at 90 days in patients undergoing reperfusion therapies in the emergency department. Simultaneous ACSA was defined as code activation within 60 min of the arrival of any patient receiving intravenous thrombolysis, within 150 min of the arrival of any patient receiving endovascular thrombectomy, within 45 min of the arrival of any patient receiving no reperfusion therapies (based on mean local door-to-needle and door-to-puncture times). Simultaneous ACSA was further graded as 1, 2 and 3. We assessed workflow metrics as door-to-CT (DTC) time, in minutes, and functional outcome as home time at 90 days. A total of 2605 patients were assessed as ACSA at a mean ± SD activations of 130.8 ± 17.1/month and 859 (33%) were simultaneous. Among all ACSA, 545 (20.9%) underwent acute reperfusion therapy with a mean age of 70.6 ± 14.2 years, 45.9% (n = 254) were female with a median (IQR) NIHSS of 13 (8–18). A total of 220 (40.4%) patients underwent simultaneous treatments. The median DTC time, in minutes, was prolonged in grade 3 simultaneous ACSA (18 (13, 28)) compared to non-simultaneous ACSA (15 (11, 21) β = 0.23, p < 0.0001). There was no difference in the median home time at 90 days between the simultaneous (58, 0–84.5 days) and non-simultaneous (54, 0–85 days) patients. Simultaneous ACSA is frequent in patients receiving acute reperfusion therapies. An optimal workflow in high-volume centers may help mitigate the clinical and system burden associated with simultaneity.