These organizations offer guidance for the development of state-level policy standards in stroke care, including the designation of qualified facilities.
[9] These include specified, time-sensitive medical care at exact intervals between ten minutes and one hour, starting at the time of arrival at the hospital's emergency department.
[9] Typically, medical interventions are timed using a stopwatch, while a qualified member of the stroke team announces each interval.
[1] Nursing Management says, "Research has shown that early evaluation and treatment are directly linked to reduced motor and cognitive deficits, as well as lower mortality.
"[11] Protocols generally include physical examination, obtaining a summary of the patient's medical history, cursory physical coordination and speech tests, blood tests, CT scans[12] or MRI, scan evaluation, and recommended treatment (such as administering blood-thinners, thrombolysis,[12] or preparation for surgery).
In addition, at this level, the acute stroke team[13] must include "personnel trained in vascular neurology, neurosurgery and endovascular procedures.
The Stroke Awareness Foundation (SAF) states that these centers must be able to perform "advanced imaging techniques, including MRI/MRA, CTA, DSA and TCD.
[12][11] In a study of one state's program (Georgia), researchers found that "Primary stroke centers (PSCs) are associated with greater rates of tissue plasminogen activator use and improved outcomes.
[20] Those which had enacted legislation by July 2010 were: "Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.