ENHANCING STROKE RESPONSE IN ATHLETES: THE ROLE OF DEDICATED EMERGENCY GREEN CHANNELS IN ACUTE ISCHEMIC STROKE CARE

Abstract

Objective: To assess the efficiency of dedicated emergency green channels in managing acute ischemic stroke among athletes. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 110 athletes admitted with acute ischemic stroke between July 2020 and December 2021. They were divided into a control group (55 athletes) receiving traditional emergency care and an observation group (55 athletes) managed exclusively via emergency green channels. We compared emergency response times, neurological deficit recovery, daily living capabilities, complication rates, and patient satisfaction between the two groups. Results: The observation group experienced significantly reduced preparation times for critical diagnostics and interventions such as CT scans, lab tests, and cerebral artery thrombolysis. Enhanced intraoperative coordination and tailored postoperative care in the observation group led to fewer complications. By 2- and 4-weeks post-thrombolysis, the observation group exhibited superior Barthel indexes and lower NIHSS scores compared to the control group, indicating better functional recovery (P<0.05). Furthermore, the observation group showed a lower overall complication rate (9.09%) and higher satisfaction with care (85.45%) compared to the control group (25.45% and 67.27%, respectively). Conclusion: Implementing dedicated emergency green channels significantly enhances the emergency management of acute ischemic stroke in athletes, resulting in quicker response times, reduced neurological impairments, fewer complications, and improved satisfaction and functional outcomes.