The Effect of Standardized Emergency Care Protocols on Door-to-Thrombolysis (DNT) Time in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

Abstract

To investigate the effect of standardized emergency care protocols on door-to-thrombolysis (DNT) time in patients with acute ischemic stroke, a total of 92 patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) who presented to the Department of Emergency at a Grade A Level III hospital (the top tier in mainland China) in Deyang City, Sichuan Province, between June 2024 and May 2025 were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into a control group and an observation group based on the order of admission. The control group received conventional emergency nursing interventions, while the observation group received standardized emergency nursing protocols to compare the effects of the two nursing interventions on patient treatment time, neurological recovery, and post-thrombolysis complications. Results showed that in the observation group, DNT, time from admission to completion of thrombolysis assessment, time from admission to completion of the first CT scan, and total time spent on the emergency care pathway were all significantly shorter than those in the control group (P < 0.05); there was no significant difference in NIHSS scores between the two groups before thrombolysis (P > 0.05). However, NIHSS scores in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group 2 days and 7 days after thrombolysis (P < 0.05); the incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, pulmonary infection, and deep vein thrombosis in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, a standardized emergency care pathway could effectively reduce treatment time for patients with acute ischemic stroke, promote neurological recovery, and lower the incidence of post-thrombolysis complications, paving ways for further studies in a wider and larger clinical settings.