Telestroke and Emergency Department Imaging: Timing of CT Angiography Within the IV Thrombolytic Decision-Making Sequence.

Background: Telestroke emergency department (ED) workflow emulates that of in-person care, yet limitations of the virtual interaction may require accommodations. The optimal sequence of non-contrast head CT, cerebral CT angiogram, and decision to infuse IV thrombolytic is not defined for telestroke. Methods: In this twenty-two-hospital multicenter retrospective study between 1/1/2024-12/31/2024, we characterized timing of ED CT angiograms, either bundled with the non-contrast head CT or non-bundled and performed after the IV-thrombolytic decision. The primary outcome was effect of bundling on door to needle time (DTN) when directed by telestroke. Timing of CT scans was determined by time stamps of scout images. Results: In total, 5704 patients were included, with a median age of 65 years (Interquartile range, IQR 58-77) and NIHSS 8 (IQR 6-13). There were 4518 patients in the bundled group (n = 12 hospitals), with time from non-contrast CT to CTA of median 2 min (IQR 0-6 min; vs non-bundled (n = 10 hospitals): 7, 4-15 min; Conclusions: Bundling non-contrast head CT with the CT angiogram before thrombolytic decision did not delay DTN times, trended to clinically improve times, and may be relevant for telestroke ED workflows.