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The importance of restoring perfusion as quickly as possible for patients experiencing ischemic stroke is summarized aptly in the adage: “Time is brain.” Current stroke guidelines recommend administering tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) to eligible patients within 4.5 hours of symptom onset, with the best functional outcomes at discharge achieved by administration within 60 minutes. However, widespread timely access to comprehensive stroke care has remained elusive.
In 2021, researchers performed a quasi-randomized trial to test whether stroke treatment in mobile stroke units (MSUs; i.e., ambulances outfitted with computed tomography, laboratory capabilities, staff capable of administering tPA, and physicians available by remote access) im…