ArticleNeurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology2023
Comparing performance measures and clinical outcomes between mobile stroke units and usual care in underserved areas.
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 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- 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
- Treatment first, transport second: rethinking stroke management with mobile stroke units-A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials.Frontiers in neurology · 2026Pooled it
- Marine Mobile Stroke Unit: A Pilot Study on the Feasibility and Quality of Brain Imaging.Cerebrovascular diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Emergency medical services providers' perspectives on the use of artificial intelligence in prehospital identification of stroke- a qualitative study in Norway and Sweden.BMC emergency medicine · 2025Article
- Observational
- Real-Time Telemedical Oversight Improves Prehospital Stroke Metrics: A Five-Year Cohort Study.Archives of academic emergency medicine · 2025Article
- Global Insights on Prehospital Stroke Care: A Comprehensive Review of Challenges and Solutions in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
- Stroke pathway performance assessment: a retrospective observational study.BMC health services research · 2023Observational
- Geospatial optimization of Air-Mobile Stroke Unit deployment in Norway: expanding the frontiers of neurocritical care.Frontiers in neurologyArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
18 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe efficacy of mobile stroke units (MSUs) in improving acute ischemic stroke (AIS) care in developing countries is unknown. We compared performance measures and stroke outcomes in AIS patients between MSU and usual care: emergency medical services (EMS) and walk-in.
methodsWe enrolled patients > 18 years of age with an AIS within 4.5 h after onset. Demographic data, types, and time of reperfusion therapies and clinical outcomes were recorded. A favorable outcome was defined as a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0-2 at 3 months.
resultsA total of 978 AIS patients (MSU = 243, EMS = 214, walk-in = 521) were enrolled between June 1, 2018, and April 30, 2021. The mean age (± SD) was 66 (± 14) years, and 510 (52.1%) were male. AIS time metrics were the shortest in the MSU with a mean (± SD) door to needle (DN) time of 20 (± 7), 29 (± 13), and 35 (± 16) min (p < 0.001) and door to puncture (DP) time of 73 ± 19, 86 ± 33, and 101 ± 42 min (p < 0.001) in MSU, EMS, and walk-in, respectively. Participants in the MSU (56.8%) received higher rate of reperfusion therapie(s) when compared to the EMS (51.4%) and walk-in (31.5%) (p < 0.001). After adjustment for any potential confounders and using the EMS as a reference, the MSU has the highest likelihood of achieving a favorable outcome (adjusted OR 2.15; 95% CI 1.39-3.32).
conclusionsIn underserved populations, MSUs significantly reduced DN time, increased the likelihood of receiving reperfusion treatment, and achieved independency at 3 months when compared to usual care.
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