Augmentation of Acute Stroke Management Via Telemedicine
Abstract
Stroke is the leading cause of disability and the third leading cause of death in the United States. Urgent stroke management is constrained by a narrow, 3 hour therapeutic window for treatment with intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV rt-PA), the "brain saving" drug. Using IV rt-PA requires rapid diagnosis and an organized approach to acute stroke care. Emergency room (ER) healthcare providers inexperienced with using IV rt-PA have been reluctant to initiate this treatment, due to known brain bleeding side effects. Misdiagnosing a non-cerebrovascular condition as a stroke is a subsequent concern. Past studies indicated that many ER physicians do not accurately interpret brain computed tomography studies (CTs). Sufficient interpretation of brain CTs is crucial to ruling out brain hemorrhage and cerebral infarctions not amenable to thrombolytic therapy. Telemedicine technology can provide immediate, remote stroke assessment and treatment by experts. Rural areas in the United States and the US military medical system would benefit from remote expert telemedicine consultants. The ability to better triage patients will not only improve stroke care but will also reduce cost by this drug benefit. The cost of treating stroke in the United States was $40.9 billion in 1997.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA421288
Entities
People
- Edward Urban
- John Y. Choi
Organizations
- Walter Reed Army Medical Center