Gaps in the nation’s stroke transfer system are drastically reducing survivors’ chances of receiving critical treatment and increasing the likelihood that they will leave the hospital with a disability, a new study suggests.
Around one-third of ischemic stroke survivors are eligible for endovascular thrombectomy, an effective intervention that changed the landscape of stroke treatment more than a decade ago.
More than 40% of people who receive endovascular therapy are initially seen at hospitals that don’t offer the treatment. These patients require transfer to more advanced facilities capable of delivering thrombectomy.
New findings published in The Lancet Neurology led by investigators from University of Michigan and the University of Chicago Medicine reveal that the vast majority of stroke…