title: Proportion of patients treated with thrombolysis in a centralized versus a decentralized acute stroke care setting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Today, treatment of acute stroke consists of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), admission to a stroke unit, and aspirin. Although tPA treatment is the most effective, there is substantial undertreatment. Centralized care may affect rate, timing, and outcome of thrombolysis compared to decentralized treatment in community hospitals. The present study aimed to assess the impact of organizational models on the proportion of patients undergoing tPA treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, multicenter, observational study among 13 hospitals in the North of the Netherlands was conducted. In the centralized model, tPA treatment for 4 hospitals was administered in 1 stroke center. The decentralized model comprised 9 community hospitals. Primary outcome was the proportion of patients treated with tPA. Secondary outcome measures were proportion of patients arriving within 4.5 hours, safety, 90-day functional outcome, and onset-to-door, door-to-needle, and onset-to-needle times. Potential confounders were adjusted using logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred eighty-three and 801 ischemic stroke patients were enrolled in the centralized and decentralized settings. Numbers of patients treated with tPA were 62 (21.9%) and 113 (14.1%) (OR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.22-2.43). Adjusting for potential confounders did not alter results (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.39-2.96). In the centralized setting, significantly more patients arrived at the hospital within the 4.5-hour time window (P<0.01), and shorter door-to-needle times were reached (35 versus 47 minutes). Other secondary outcome measures did not differ across setting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a centralized setting, the results demonstrate a 50% increased likelihood of treatment. Prehospital factors seem to contribute to this result.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands. m.m.h.lahr@umcg.nl
authors.forename: Maarten M H
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Lahr
authors.forename: Gert-Jan
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Luijckx
authors.forename: Patrick C A J
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Vroomen
authors.forename: Durk-Jouke
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: van der Zee
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Buskens
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator