LIVE from SNIS: New study validates use of RACE scale for stroke triage

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validation of the RACE scale LVO strokeA new study presented at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery’s (SNIS) 17th Annual Meeting (4–7 August, virtual meeting) serves as the first prospective validation of the Rapid Arterial Occlusion Evaluation (RACE) scale in accurately identifying a large vessel occlusion (LVO) by US-based emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in a prehospital setting.

Presented by Aurora Cruz (University of Louisville, Louisville, USA), the study was a prospective, multicentre, EMS-administered, prehospital validation study of the Rapid Arterial Occlusion Evaluation (RACE) scale for detecting LVO Stroke in the USA. This scale was compared to the original RACE validation study from Spain.

Forming a subanalysis of the PREDICT Study, Cruz explained that the study evaluated 232 adult patients suspected of having a stroke by US-based EMS who were transported to a participating comprehensive stroke centre. She added that all patients had the RACE scale administered prospectively and their results recorded in a secure web-based database.

The RACE scale was previously validated by EMS in Spain for accurately identifying this type of life-threatening condition and has been widely adopted in the USA. Cruz told the SNIS viewers that the health care infrastructure and EMS systems differ significantly between the two countries, and the validity of the results from the Spanish study, when applied to US systems, was untested prior to this study.

In a recent SNIS press release, Robert F James, senior author of the study and professor and vice chair, Department of Neurosurgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, comments: “Standardising triage protocols is critical for improving stroke systems of care and improving outcomes for patients. The findings of this study advance the validity of the RACE scale, which will help EMS determine stroke severity in the field and ensure that patients receive proper care as soon as possible.”

For more stories from SNIS 2020, click here.


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