Stroke can sometimes be caused by the blockage of a large blood vessel supplying the brain. When this happens, certain patients are suitable for an urgent operation – called a thrombectomy – to quickly remove the blockage, return the blood flow and avoid serious disability. SPEEDY (The specialist pre-hospital redirection for ischaemic stroke thrombectomy study) is examining whether access to thrombectomy can be sped up through direct ambulance admission to specialist centres rather than the nearest hospital. This involves ambulance crews and thrombectomy centre teams working together to recognise patients who may be suitable for treatment.
Following arrival at a centre some patients will turn out to be unsuitable for thrombectomy, but all patients will still receive treatment which is appropriate for their needs. For more information, see the ISRCTN registry.
ISRCTN registry