Paramedics are taught to take stroke victims to the nearest stroke center. But it may be in some patients best interest to be taken to a center that performs thrombectomy, even if its farther away. These may be patients with severe strokes, in which case one-half their body may be paralyzed, their eyes may be pulling to one side and they may have difficulty speaking. Because its not always that straightforward, Dr. Hussain and colleagues are developing a grading system to help paramedics identify the severity of a stroke, so they know how to make this judgment call.
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