Effect of endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke is time dependent and procedure should be initiated as fast as possible. Interventional expertise is scarce outside big cities, resulting in significant treatment delays and worse outcomes for stroke patients in remote areas. Using a helicopter to transfer a flying intervention team (FIT) to the primary stroke center (PSC) instead of transferring the patient to a comprehensive stroke center (CSC) has been shown to reduce time to treatment by 90 minutes. Aim of this study is to determine whether this new system of care is associated with improved functional outcome.
This is a prospective cohort study with random allocation of FIT service weeks. It includes consecutive patients from the TEMPiS-FIT registry with indication for EVT after arrival in PSC between 02-2018 and 01-2021. Patients were either treated by FIT in one of 15 participating PSC (available on 26 weeks/year) or transferred for EVT to CSC by emergency medical service. Primary outcome will be distribution of modified Rankin scale at 3 months. Secondary outcomes include clinical and safety outcomes during hospitalization and within 3 months after stroke onset.
Data presentation will include baseline characteristics, procedural parameters and unadjusted and adjusted primary and secondary outcomes of stroke patients with FIT deployment vs. secondary transfer for EVT.
FIT is a novel system of care that reduces time to EVT significantly for eligible patients in underserved areas. Our results will show whether treatment by FIT is associated with improved functional outcome after 3 months.
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