Time is of the essence when treating a stroke. Initiating stroke treatment just 15 minutes faster can save lives and prevent disability, according to a new UCLA-led study, published in JAMA.
With data from 6,756 patients, the study is one of the largest to quantify the number of patients that could be saved by earlier stroke treatment. All of the patients in the study experienced large vessel occlusion in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and were treated with endovascular reperfusion therapy. Comparing the waiting time between the patient arrival time and the treatment initiation time, the study showed that for every 1,000 patients who were treated 15 minutes sooner, 15 fewer died or were discharged to hospice care, 17 more were able to walk out of the hospital without assistance, and 22 more could care for themselves after being discharged from the hospital.
Dr. Reza Jahan, Professor of Interventional Radiology and the leading author of the JAMA article, explained how 15 minutes matter on ABC Circle of Health.
