title: [Implementation of a regional system for the emergency care of acute ischemic stroke: Initial results].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Implementing integrated systems for emergency care of patients with acute ischemic stroke helps reduce morbidity and mortality. We describe the process of organizing and implementing a regional system to cover around 3.7 million people and its main initial results.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a descriptive analysis of the implementation process and a retrospective analysis of the following parameters: number of patients prenotified by the pre-hospital system; number of times thrombolysis was performed; door-to-needle time; and functional assessment three months after stroke.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The implementation process started in November 2005 and ended in December 2009, and included 11 health centers. There were 3574 prenotifications from the prehospital system. Thrombolysis was performed in 1142 patients. The percentage of patients receiving thrombolysis rose during the study period, with a maximum of 16%. Median door-to-needle time was 62 min in 2009. Functional recovery three months after stroke was total or near total in 50% of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The regional system implemented for emergency care of patients with acute ischemic stroke has led to health gains, with progressive improvements in patients' access to thrombolysis, and to greater equity in the health care system, thus helping to reduce mortality from cerebrovascular disease in Portugal. Our results, which are comparable with those of international studies, support the strategy adopted for implementation of this system.
authors.affiliation: Delegação Regional Sul, Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica IP, Lisboa, Portugal; Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal. Electronic address: miguel.soares.oliveira@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soares-Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Imuno-hemoterapia, Centro Hospitalar de São João, EPE, Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Araújo
mesh_terms: D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D011174:Portugal; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Acidente vascular cerebral; Emergency; Emergência; Sistema; Stroke; System; Thrombolysis; Trombólise