What is the new standard goal for door to needle time?

The new standard goal for door-to-needle time is set at less than 30 minutes, which is crucial for ensuring maximal effectiveness of treatments for acute ischemic stroke. Timely administration of thrombolytics, like tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), can significantly reduce the chances of long-term disability or death resulting from a stroke. The emphasis on a door-to-needle time of less than 30 minutes reflects the urgency required in acute care settings to improve patient outcomes.

Additionally, achieving this goal necessitates efficient protocols for patient assessment, diagnosis, and treatment initiation within the emergency department. Organizations focused on stroke care recognize the importance of this metric, and thus, it has been established as a performance measure to guide and improve stroke treatment practices.

While less than 45 minutes and less than 60 minutes are also mentioned, these durations do not adequately reflect the current clinical guidelines aimed at optimizing acute stroke care within the critical early intervention window. Therefore, not only is the priority given to achieving less than 30 minutes, but it illustrates the overall trajectory and intention to enhance the speed and quality of stroke intervention.