The Golden Hour
Treatment of stroke within the first hour leads to improved functional outcomes and decreases the chance of death. A large number of stroke patients arrive at the hospital too late to receive thrombolysis.
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Every second matters when it comes to stroke care, as faster treatment can save lives and limit long-term effects.
At UF Health, we know when it comes to strokes, we have to act FAST. As an extension of the comprehensive stroke care UF Health offers, the UF Health Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit, or MSTU, is designed to provide immediate care. It will decrease the time it takes to make an accurate stroke diagnosis and administer time-sensitive stroke therapies earlier — saving time and saving brain. UF Health’s unit is the first Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit in Florida.
By deploying to the patient, the team can begin treatment while in transit to the nearest available stroke center. This saves critical moments to reduce long-term disability from the stroke. The mobile stroke treatment unit in Gainesville will be staffed 12 hours a day, seven days a week and will provide service within a 30-mile radius. It will take patients to the closest certified stroke center available.
UF Health’s mobile stroke unit specialized ambulance will include:
Ambulances will be staffed by a team that includes:
Studies show improved clinical outcomes for stroke patients transported via mobile stroke unit versus a standard ambulance.
Treatment of stroke within the first hour leads to improved functional outcomes and decreases the chance of death. A large number of stroke patients arrive at the hospital too late to receive thrombolysis.
The Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit decreases the median time from stroke onset to treatment by about 36 minutes. 33% of patients were treated with clot-busting drugs within the first hour on the MSTU, compared to only 3% with EMS management.
Use of a mobile stroke unit increases the number of disability-free patients by about 11%.
UF Health will be launching more mobile stroke treatment units to cover The Villages, and, later, mobile stroke units are planned for Jacksonville and Palm Beach County. Only 20 mobile stroke programs are currently operational nationwide.