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The 24-hour telestroke service in Neurocenter supports other central hospitals in making decisions about thrombolytic therapy and thrombectomy procedures for stroke patients. Telestroke is needed if the hospital does not have a neurologist available 24 hours a day.
The telestroke network currently includes 12 emergency clinics all over Finland and the service is available to them 24/7. Around 700 patients are assessed via telestroke consultations yearly.
Through telestroke consultation support, the amount of thrombolytic therapies given has increased by a factor of 2 to 3 on top of thrombolytic therapies administered by the central hospitals' own neurologists during office hours. The blood clot in the patient's brain can be dissolved through thrombolytic therapy, which carries great significance for the patient's recovery. Thrombolytic therapy and referring the patient to a thrombectomy substantially improve the patient's prognosis. More and more stroke patients recover enough to return to work or to cope independently.
The telestroke remote connection uses two-way video and audio through which the doctor treating the patient and the patient can see the consulting neurologist in Helsinki University Hospital where treatment decisions are made collaboratively. Computed tomography images of the patient’s brain, blood test results, blood sugar and blood pressure levels are discussed in the consultation meeting. It is becoming increasingly common that a decision is made in the meeting to transfer the patient to an intra-arterial, mechanical procedure called thrombectomy. Thrombectomy complements or replaces the thrombolytic therapy.