biostudies-literatureUnknown5(10)Walter S<h4>Background</h4>Early treatment with rt-PA is critical for favorable outcome of acute stroke. However, only a very small proportion of stroke patients receive this treatment, as most arrive at hospital too late to be eligible for rt-PA therapy.<h4>Methods and findings</h4>We developed a "Mobile Stroke Unit", consisting of an ambulance equipped with computed tomography, a point-of-care laboratory system for complete stroke laboratory work-up, and telemedicine capabilities for contact with hospital experts, to achieve delivery of etiology-specific and guideline-adherent stroke treatment at the site of the emergency, well before arrival at the hospital. In a departure from current practice, stroke patients could be differentially treated according to their ischemic or hemorrhagic etiology PloS onee13758https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC2966432biostudies-literatureBringing the hospital to the patient: first treatment of stroke patients at the emergency site.PMC2966432Viera JVolk TKorner HGrunwald IHelwig SRoth CPapanagiotou PSchmidt KAlexandrou MLiu YLicina TKubulus DKostpopoulos PGolinski MFassbender KKeller IRomann MSZiegeler SYilmaz UVierra JBertsch TWalter SReith WSchlechtriemen THaass AZimmer APattar ALesmeister MfalseBringing the hospital to the patient: first treatment of stroke patients at the emergency site.<h4>Background</h4>Early treatment with rt-PA is critical for favorable outcome of acute stroke. However, only a very small proportion of stroke patients receive this treatment, as most arrive at hospital too late to be eligible for rt-PA therapy.<h4>Methods and findings</h4>We developed a "Mobile Stroke Unit", consisting of an ambulance equipped with computed tomography, a point-of-care laboratory system for complete stroke laboratory work-up, and telemedicine capabilities for contact with hospital experts, to achieve delivery of etiology-specific and guideline-adherent stroke treatment at the site of the emergency, well before arrival at the hospital. In a departure from current practice, stroke patients could be differentially treated according to their ischemic or hemorrhagic etiology 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z2010 Oct2025-04-05T13:40:34.738Z2019-03-26T23:10:24ZS-EPMC29664322106080010.1371/journal.pone.0013758