EMS Stroke Measures
When a patient has a stroke, time is of the essence. Although a stroke patient may present in a variety of ways, a prehospital provider must rule out low blood sugar as the cause. This is done by performing a finger stick to obtain a small blood sample. Through the use of a glucometer an analysis is completed in seconds. This process is referred to as a Blood Glucose Level (BGL).
The chart below illustrates the percentage of suspected stroke patients who are age 18 and older that meet stroke criteria and who received a blood glucose level test in a prehospital setting. The goal for total EMS time on scene is less than 10 minutes.
BGL: Percentage of suspected acute stroke patients age 18 and older meeting local criteria who received a glucose test in a prehospital setting
Scene Time <10 min: Target EMS time for stroke
The graph below examines the time (in minutes) from the time the ground ambulance arrives at the scene until the time the ambulance departs from the scene for suspected stroke patients. As an example: The average EMS scene time for suspected stroke in July 2015 was 14 minutes, and 90% of EMS scene times were less than 20 minutes.
EMS CQI Measures: