ArticleNeurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology2023
Drip-and-ship toward mothership model for mechanical thrombectomy during COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective analysis.
Article in Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Mothership Versus Drip-and-Ship Models in Acute Stroke Care: A Time-Sensitive Meta-Analysis.Journal of the American Heart Association · 2026Pooled it
- Latest evidence on transfer efficiency and patient outcomes in mothership versus drip-and-ship models for acute stroke management: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in neurology · 2026Pooled it
- Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prehospital Stage of Acute Stroke in Korea II : Transport Decisions for Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke.Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society · 2026Article
- Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Centre-A Key to Acute Stroke Care System Improvement? Retrospective Analysis of Safety and Efficacy of Endovascular Treatment in Cardiac Cathlab.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
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12 authors.
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Abstract
introductionDuring the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020, our stroke network shifted from a drip-and-ship strategy (transport of acute ischemic stroke patients to the nearest primary stroke centers) toward a mothership model (direct transportation to the Comprehensive Stroke Center). We retrospectively analyzed stroke network performances comparing the two models. PATIENTS AND
methodsAll spoke-district patients treated with endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) between 15th March-15th June 2019 (drip-and-ship) and 2020 (mothership) were considered. We compared onset-to-groin time (OGT) and onset-to-needle time (ONT) between the two periods. Secondarily, we investigated other performances parameters (percentage of IV thrombolysis, timing of diagnostic and treatment) and clinical outcome (3-month modified Rankin Scale).
resultsTwenty-four spoke-district patients in 2019 (drip-and-ship) and 26 in 2020 (mothership) underwent EVT. The groups did not differ for age, sex, risk factors, pre-stroke mRS 0-1, NIHSS, and ASPECTS distribution. The MS model showed a significant decrease of the OGT (162.5 min vs 269 min, p = 0.001) without significantly affecting the ONT (140.5 min vs 136 min, p = 0.853), ensuring a higher number of IV thrombolysis in combination with EVT (p = 0.030). The mothership model showed longer call-to-door time (median + 23 min, p < 0.005), but shorter door-to-needle (median - 31 min, p = 0.001), and door-to-groin time (- 82.5 min, p < 0.001). We found no effects of the stroke network model on the 3-month mRS (ordinal shift analysis, p = 0.753).
conclusionsThe shift to the mothership model during the COVID-19 pandemic guaranteed quicker EVT without significantly delaying IVT.
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