Drip-and-ship stroke thrombolysis in the emergency department of a healthcare center - a possibility for those fallen ill in rural settings.

Abstract

Thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator is the mainstay in the treatment of acute stroke. Reducing the delay of thrombolysis treatment improves patient prognosis and reduces the incidence of complications. Variable telestroke regimens have improved the availability of stroke thrombolysis, especially in rural settings, where neurologists are not readily available. In the drip-and-ship strategy, stroke thrombolysis is initiated in a peripheral hospital and the patient is then transferred to a tertiary care unit. We report the first case of drip-and-ship stroke thrombolysis in a rural health care center in Northeastern Finland.