Prehospital diagnosis and treatment of acute stroke

Strokes are among the most common diseases in Germany and account for a large proportion of emergency medical service responses. Due to the highly time-critical nature of the disease, time-effective prehospital recognition of the stroke, treatment of acute ABC (airway, breathing, circulation) problems, and rapid hospital assignment are very important. Initiation of causal treatment does not occur prehospital. With the introduction of endovascular techniques, which, according to the latest studies, can be considered for an increasing number of suitable patients within a time window of up to 24 h, hospital assignment has become more complex. Accurate prehospital notification, which ideally includes an assessment of stroke severity, and good coordination between the control center, emergency staff, and clinicians are required for precise patient assignment. Future opportunities for optimizing prehospital stroke care include the establishment of clear referral concepts and neurological telemedics.