An increased number of Victorian stroke patients have survived and returned home since the launch of a dedicated stoke ambulance.
The Minister for Ambulance Services, Jenny Mikakos joined paramedics, stroke nurses and radiographers at the Royal Melbourne Hospital this week to mark two years since Australia’s first stroke ambulance hit the road.
Ms Mikakos said the stroke ambulance had been dispatched to 2,579 suspected stroke cases, with 1,025 patients treated and assessed, since its launch.
“When someone has a stroke, time is critical and every second counts,” Ms Mikakos said.
“The stroke ambulance means that specialist treatment and assessment can begin on the road and straight away,” she said
“It has performed 478 cutting-edge Computed Tomography (CT) scans and administered 108 patients with clot-dissolving medication for thrombolysis.”
Ms Mikakos said one in seven thrombolysis patients were treated by stroke ambulance staff within the first 60 minutes of stroke onset.
“For one in 12 patients, it would have been too late for treatment if it wasn’t for the stroke ambulance.”
She said the 5.3 tonne ambulance had a CT scanner on board capable of imaging a patient’s brain and detecting the type of stroke they were having – allowing ambulance staff to administer the appropriate treatment quickly and safely.
Ms Mikakos said the ambulance crew included a stroke nurse, radiographer and highly-trained emergency paramedics.
