The effects of the healthcare line in a stroke unit: three years' experience of a center in the Northeast of Brazil

Abstract

Background Treatment at an organized stroke unit center (SUC) improves survival after stroke. Stroke mortality has decreased worldwide in recent decades. Objective This study shows the experience of a SUC in the Northeast of Brazil, comparing its first, second, and third years. Methods We compared data on the SUC prospectively collected from 31 July 2018 to 31 July 2019 (year 1), August 1st, 2019, to July 31st, 2020 (year 2), and August 1st to July 31st, 2021 (year 3). Results There was an expertise evolution through the years, with good outcomes in spite of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in the 3rd year. Also, in the 1st year, the median (interquartile range) door-to-needle time was 39.5 (29.5–60.8) minutes evolving to 22 (17–30) minutes, and then to 17 (14–22) minutes in the last year. Conclusion This was the first report on a SUC's outcome in the Brazil's Central Arid Northeast countryside, and it shows the improvement in care for patients with stroke through an effective healthcare line.