Abstract Body: Introduction: Inter-hospital transfer of stroke patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) safely and timely from primary stroke centers to comprehensive stroke centers is needed to improve outcomes. In this study we aim at comparing use of simple 911 ambulance stat transfer with contracted ambulance pickup (CAP) used for interhospital transfer of stroke and its effect on Door In Door Out time (DIDO).
Methods: Data were retrospectively abstracted for patients with an LVO from 10/2020 to 04/2024. Median DIDO times were calculated for patients who were transferred using AMR 911 vs CAP. Statistical analysis was performed using R.
Results: There were total of 412 patients with acute ischemic stroke who were found to have LVO. 272 (66%) of patients were transferred using contracted ambulance pickup (CAP) while 140(34%) were transferred using 911 ambulance. There were no significant differences in baseline demographics between the CAP and 911 ambulance groups (Table1). DIDO (AMR911: median 74.50 min (IQR 57.7-96) vs CAP: 105.50 (85-133.2), p< 0.001 was significantly faster for 911 AMR cases compared to CAP cases. (graph1).
Conclusions: Utilizing the widely available 911 stat ambulance process for stroke patients eligible for mechanical thrombectomy reduced DIDO time significantly, which may contribute to improved functional outcome.