The Neurohospitalist
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The Neurohospitalist · Jan 2019
Impact of Patient Language on Emergency Medical Service Use and Prenotification for Acute Ischemic Stroke.
Use of emergency medical services (EMS) is associated with decreased door-to-needle time in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Whether patient language affects EMS utilization and prenotification in AIS has been understudied. We sought to characterize EMS use and prenotification by patient language among intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV-tPA) tissue plasminogen (IV-tPA) treated patients at a single center with a large Spanish-speaking patient population. ⋯ Emergency medical services usage was higher in Spanish speakers compared to English speakers among AIS patients treated with IV-tPA; however, prenotification rates did not differ. Future studies should evaluate differences in EMS utilization according to primary language and ethnicity.