An opportunity to improve Acute Ischemic Stroke care in the South Asian region through telestroke services

Jayant Kumar Yadav; Gaurav Nepal; Yow Ka Shing; Rohit Raman Banerji; Bikram Prasad Gajurel

doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2021.103115

An opportunity to improve Acute Ischemic Stroke care in the South Asian region through telestroke services

Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2021 Nov 25:72:103115. doi: 10.1016/j.amsu.2021.103115. eCollection 2021 Dec.

Authors

Jayant Kumar Yadav¹, Gaurav Nepal¹, Yow Ka Shing², Rohit Raman Banerji¹, Bikram Prasad Gajurel³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal.
² Department of Internal Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore.
³ Department of Neurology, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Abstract

The South Asian region accounts for more than 40% of the stroke burden of the developing world and is the highest contributor to global stroke mortality. Despite proven treatment guidelines, the limited number of neurologists, the number of dedicated stroke centers and the fact that most of these facilities are urban-centric renders poor access to thrombolysis in this region, especially in the rural areas. Studies have shown that thrombolysis using telestroke services are comparable to face-to-face thrombolysis. Telestroke, conducted through low-cost media such as smartphones or laptops, may form a cost-effective solution to improve access to appropriate stroke care in a resource-limited setting such as that of the South Asian region.

Keywords: Ischemic stroke; South Asia; Stroke; Telemedicine; Telestroke.