Changing standard procedures for evaluating and treating patients with suspected stroke has led to improved access to lifesaving stroke surgery across the state of Delaware and should inform triage and treatment nationwide, according to research released today at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery’s (SNIS) 21^st Annual Meeting.

In “Direct From the Field Bypass to CSC Improves Timeliness and Likelihood of Thrombectomy for Patients with Emergent Large Vessel Occlusion,” the members of the Delaware Stroke System worked with the state’s emergency medical services (EMS) director to change the way that paramedics in Delaware evaluated individuals for suspected large vessel occlusion, increasing the number of patients who were immediately flown to comprehensive stroke centers for thrombectomy. These changes were implemented across the state in 2023. During the first full year of implementation, 100 patients were flown directly to a comprehensive stroke center (CSC), hospitals with certified neurointerventional specialists on staff who can perform thrombectomies, bypassing the local primary stroke center (PSC). Of those patients confirmed to have a target vessel occlusion on imaging, 79 percent underwent thrombectomy. In prior years, that percentage was just 52% when patients arrived via inter-facility transfer. These patients also received thrombectomy an estimated 2-3 hours earlier than if they had presented to the local PSC first.

Strokes are often caused by a large vessel occlusion (LVO), a blood clot that blocks a large blood vessel, cutting off significant blood flow to the brain. Nearly two million brain cells die every minute a stroke goes untreated, therefore the faster patients with this kind of stroke receive thrombectomy -; a minimally invasive procedure that uses a catheter to reopen blocked arteries in the brain -; the better their chances are to survive and to live a life of limited or no disability.

Many patients live far from comprehensive stroke centers. Therefore, stroke patients are sent to primary stroke centers first, which have fewer stroke resources. If these patients are experiencing a severe stroke, they are often then rerouted to a comprehensive stroke center. This delay in treatment can put patients at risk for long-term disability or death from stroke.

Implementing this new evidence-based screening and routing patients straight to comprehensive stroke centers has saved lives. Every stroke patient deserves access to lifesaving treatment, no matter where they are. We’re thrilled these procedures are allowing more people in Delaware to thrive after stroke and hope further systems across the U.S. will follow suit.”

Thinesh Sivapatham, MD, interventional neuroradiologist and associate director of the Comprehensive Stroke Program at Delaware’s Christiana Care health system

What questions do you have about the 2024 elections? What major issues do you want candidates to address? Let us know.

Delaware’s U.S. Sens. Chris Coons and Tom Carper are urging members of their party to support Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for president.

President Joe Biden on Sunday announced he was withdrawing from the race after mounting concerns over his age and ability to win against former President Donald Trump. Biden endorsed Harris to run in his stead as the Democratic nominee.

Coons and Carper joined U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough in New Castle County on Monday morning to educate veterans on how to claim disability benefits.

Coons, a close friend of Biden and campaign co-chair, said he was speaking at a forum in Aspen, Colorado on Sunday when he saw he missed a call from the president. Audience members began to gasp as they saw Biden’s letter posted ro social media indicating he was ending his reelection bid.

Coons said Biden’s decision was “selfless and historic.”

“It’s my hope that my colleagues and others around the country will give him the accolades that he so deserved, as the most consequential president of my lifetime,” he said. “Someone who came into office in the middle of three incredible crises. A global pandemic caused, in part made worse by its mishandling by his predecessor, that ultimately took a million Americans’ lives; a deep economic recession and crisis caused by that pandemic; and a crisis of democracy.”

Media reports of senior aides managing the president’s schedule to shield the public from fully seeing the toll his age had taken has dogged the president for months. WHYY News attended a “Communities in Action” forum for Delaware state, local and community leaders in April. Biden addressed the crowd just before WHYY was allowed access to the event. White House personnel at the time said it was a surprise visit from the president.

Coons disputed claims that Biden has been “bubble wrapped” by his top aides, pointing to rallies, press conferences and network interviews Biden has conducted since his poor debate performance nearly a month ago. He did not address any time period prior to the June 27 debate.

Police and rescue workers are still trying to find a man who witnesses said may have drowned Saturday afternoon in the Delaware River.

Dive teams and rescuers in boats searched the area near the Easton wastewater plant, where multiple witnesses saw the man disappear under water around 4 p.m. Saturday, according to Pennsylvania Water Rescue Chief Branden Bachman.

Authorities searched the area until sundown Saturday and all day Sunday, Bachman said. They used sonar and other imaging equipment in portions of the river, he said.

A scaled-back search will continue Monday, Bachman said.

“At this point we will not be continuing a large-scale search of the river,” he said. “We will continue to use our drone and periodic boat-based searches of the surrounding shore lines and surface areas.”

Easton Police Lieutenant Matthew Gerould said a local family reported a family member missing Sunday afternoon. The family told police the man hadn’t been seen since Saturday, around the time the witnesses saw the man go underwater in the river. Police think the missing man could be the possible drowning victim.

It’s unclear whether the person who went underwater managed to get to shore and walk away. Police are looking for information about the missing man’s whereabouts.

The missing swimmer is described as a man in his 60s with short gray hair, standing about 5 feet 6 inches tall. He was last seen wearing black shorts and black water shoes. Police did not release the missing person’s name out of respect for the family, Gerould said.

Anyone with information about the missing man can call Easton police at 610-250-2282.

The wastewater plant is at 50-A South Delaware Drive in Easton. It’s across the river from Phillipsburg.

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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com.