A year ago KHSC expanded access to its Stroke Endovascular Thrombectomy Service from weekday to 24/7 delivery. This move to round-the-clock service was a big step that required an incredible commitment from many across the region including referring hospitals, paramedic services and the large and growing team of experts within KHSC. Over the past year, we have learned that we can indeed deliver this complex service successfully with great outcomes for patients across Southeastern Ontario.The KHSC Stroke Endovascular Workgroup met in September to review patient outcomes to date. 58 individuals have now received this life-changing treatment at KHSC. Regional distribution beyond Frontenac County includes 14 transferred from Hastings and Prince Edward Counties, 10 from Lanark Leeds and Grenville Counties and 7 from Lennox and Addington Counties. All the individuals selected for this treatment had experienced very large strokes yet over 60% experienced minimal to no disability at 90 days. This outcome compares favorably with research trials (ESCAPE trial = 53%).Time is Brain so the KHSC team has been using a quality improvement approach to continuously gain precious minutes each step along the way. The door-to-needle time for those who require thrombolysis has decreased from a median of 45 minutes two years ago to a current median of only 21 minutes. Key process times are well under the set targets. These include:ED arrival to CT Scan: 10 minutes (target 15)ED arrival to start of procedure (groin puncture): 39 minutes (target 60)ED arrival to first reperfusion (first return of blood flow to the compromised area): 68 minutes (target 90)Many are to be thanked for this important step in providing access to this life changing treatment within our region. Congratulations to all! We have heard back from patients who have received EVT and we look forward to sharing their stories in the near future. Learn More
Fewer strokes. Better outcomes.