Call 911: better hospital care when you arrive by ambulance

Patients with stroke-like symptoms getter faster and better attention when they arrive by ambulance says a new study. Pass on taxis or private autos for better care.

In particular, patient receive brain scans much faster when arriving via ambulance. These scans provide the early diagnosis needed to set the course of treatment and save lives. Faster is better.

Researchers looked over the records of more than 14,000 patients admitted in various ways to emergency rooms. They found that patients who came by ambulance were twice as likely to have their scans done within time guidelines. With 800,000 Americans experiencing stroke each year and one in six dying from it, speed with diagnosis is critical. Most of the patients in this study had ischemic stroke which is caused by a blood clot in the brain. This is treated effectively with clot busting drugs, but the diagnosis must be made first.

“EMS (emergency medical services) impact doesn’t just stop at pre-hospital care, it can have an impact in the hospital as well,” said Mehul Patel, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

If you arrived by private transport, it took 72 minutes to get a scan. With ambulance, it took less than 48 minutes. “They pay more attention and evaluate you faster if you enter by ambulance,” Dr Mathew Reeves, a stroke researchers stated.

Source: Reuters