Strategic Opportunities to Improve Stroke Systems of Care

Zacharison et al discuss strategic opportunities to improve stroke systems of care. Restoring reperfusion to the brain as quickly as possible during acute ischemic stroke is important to reduce long-term disability and optimize clinical outcomes for patients, although hospital and resource availability are frequently not well matched with patient location. Accordingly, many patients who may have large-vessel occlusion lack rapid access to endovascular thrombectomy, a highly efficacious procedure with a number needed to treat of approximately 3 to 7 for regaining independence among carefully selected patients.