Statewide Emergency Medical Services Protocols for Suspected Stroke and Large Vessel Occlusion

Prehospital triage is critically important in the care of patients with stroke caused by large vessel occlusion (LVO), both because of the time-sensitive nature of acute interventions and the need to appropriately use available resources. However, it is unclear if standardized LVO-specific triage protocols exist among emergency medical services (EMS) nationwide. Here, Chuck et al performed a cross-sectional analysis of publicly available statewide EMS protocols in Dec 2020 using online searches cross-referenced to previous literature to characterize prehospital LVO transport algorithms across the US. They included states with mandated or recommended protocols as well as those with relevant state department of health-issued guidelines. Other states were excluded, even if they had protocols on a regional level.