CTA-for-All: Impact of Emergency Computed Tomographic Angiography for All Patients With Stroke Presenting Within 24 Hours of Onset

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE—We sought to evaluate the impact of a Computed Tomographic Angiography (CTA) for All emergency stroke imaging protocol on outcome after large vessel occlusion (LVO). METHODS—On July 1, 2017, the Henry Ford Health System implemented the policy of performing CTA and noncontrast computed tomography together as an initial imaging study for all patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) presenting within 24 hours of last known well, regardless of baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score. Previously, CTA was reserved for patients presenting within 6 hours with a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≥6. We compared treatment processes and outcomes between patients with AIS admitted 1 year before (n=388) and after (n=515) protocol implementation. RESULTS—After protocol implementation, more AIS patients underwent CTA (91% versus 61%; P