Systemization of advanced stroke care: the dollars and sense of comprehensive stroke centers

J NeuroIntervent Surg: September 23, 2013

Stroke center designation is an integral component of maintaining the systems of care for cerebrovascular diseases.1 Organization of hospitals into efficient vehicles of healthcare delivery helps improve clinical outcomes.2 The approval of IV tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) highlighted the need for specialized stroke centers able to quickly mobilize all aspects of care to administer this treatment, due to its strict time window of administration.3 ,4 This led to primary stroke center (PSC) designation. Just as with cardiac ‘STEMI’ (ST segment elevation myocardial infarction) centers, which have increased performance of life saving percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction,5,6 PSCs have increased IV tPA utilization.2 ,7 Treatments for cerebrovascular conditions using specialized procedures, such as cerebral aneurysms, require yet additional galvanization of resources. Read more