A Reduction in Time with Electronic Monitoring In Stroke (ARTEMIS): study protocol for a randomised multicentre trial

Gaia T Koster, T Truc My Nguyen, Adrien E D Groot, Jonathan M Coutinho, Jan Bosch, Heleen M den Hertog, Marianne A A van Walderveen, Ale Algra, Marieke J H Wermer, Yvo B Roos, Nyika D Kruyt,

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Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Time is the most crucial factor limiting efficacy of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and intra-arterial thrombectomy (IAT). The delay between alarming the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) dispatch office and IVT/IAT initiation, that is, the 'total system delay' (TSD), depends on logistics and team effort. A promising method to reduce TSD is real-time audio-visual feedback to caregivers involved. With 'A Reduction in Time with Electronic Monitoring in Stroke' (ARTEMIS), we aim to investigate the effect of real-time audio-visual feedback on actual TSD to IVT/IAT to caregivers.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: ARTEMIS is a multiregional, multicentre, randomised open end-point trial including patients ≥18 years considered IVT/IAT-eligible by the EMS dispatch office or on-site EMS personnel. Patients are electronically tracked and randomised for real-time audio-visual feedback on TSD to caregivers via premounted handhelds and tablets throughout the TSD trajectory. Primary outcome is TSD to IVT/IAT. Secondary outcomes comprise proportion of IVT/IAT-treated patients, symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage, IVT/IAT-treated stroke mimics, clinical outcome after three months and cost-effectiveness. Separate analyses for IAT-patients with or without prior IVT, within or out of office hours and EMS region will be performed. With 75 IAT-patients and 225 IVT-patients in each arm, we will be able to demonstrate a 20 min difference in TSD to IAT and a 10 min difference in TSD to IVT (p=0.05 and power=0.8).

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Study findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and (inter)national conference presentations.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02808806; Pre-results.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere020844
Number of pages7
JournalBMJ Open
Volume8
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 27 Jun 2018

Keywords

  • acute ischemic stroke
  • intra-arterial thrombectomy
  • intravenous thrombolysis
  • time to treatment
  • total system delay
  • treatment delay

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