Dr. Johanna T. Fifi - "Studies Document Successful Attempts to Speed up Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke"

Two hospitals, one located in a rural setting and another in a dense urban area, have developed protocols that significantly reduced door-to-needle time for the endovascular treatment of patients presenting with large occlusion strokes. The protocols they developed can likely help other hospitals do the same, researchers say. Both studies are published in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery. For one study, led by Dr. Johanna T Fifi, MD, of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York, NY), researchers conducted a retrospective review of 69 patients with ischemic stroke treated with intra-arterial therapy. The impetus to improve treatment times is a direct result of recent clinical trials demonstrating the benefits of intra-arterial therapy for large occlusion strokes, Dr. Fifi told WLNCMD in a telephone interview. "Now we know this is an effective therapy, it's become standard of care, and we all know time is brain, so there is no point in doing the procedure unless you're doing it quickly and efficiently." Read More