ABSTRACT NUMBER: ESOC2026A1392 STROKE RECOGNITION AND DISPATCH PRIORITY IN AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH CENTER

Abstract Background and aims Accurate stroke recognition by emergency dispatch centers is crucial for timely treatment. Previous studies report a sensitivity of 40%-70% for stroke recognition, based on assigned dispatch protocol. However, dispatch priority, regardless of whether the call was classified as stroke, may be a more relevant outcome measure as this directly determines response speed and time to treatment. We aimed to evaluate how often confirmed stroke patients received the highest dispatch priority in the Dutch healthcare setting. Methods We collected data from ambulance ride logs and health records for all hospital-confirmed stroke patients in 2023 who were primarily transported by ambulance to Albert Schweitzer Hospital, the Netherlands, and triaged by the dispatch center Zuid-Holland Zuid. Patients last-seen-well >24 hours were excluded. We calculated the proportion of confirmed stroke patients with a direct call to 112 who received A1 priority dispatch (“lights and sirens”) and assessed the protocol code assigned by the dispatch center. Results We included 197 stroke patients for whom 112 was called. The proportion of A1 dispatch priority was 94.4% (95% CI:[91.2%-97.6%]). Stroke protocol code was assigned to 140 (71.1%) patients. All patients who were assigned a stroke protocol code received A1 priority. Among non-stroke protocols, 46 patients (80.7%) received A1 priority and 11 (19.3%) received lower priority. Conclusions In the Dutch healthcare setting, most confirmed stroke patients receive the highest dispatch priority, despite that nearly 30% are not categorized as stroke. Efforts should focus on ensuring that patients receive the correct dispatch priority rather than the correct dispatch protocol. Conflict of interest Peter van Hulst: nothing to disclose, Peter de Kruijter: nothing to disclose, Henk Kerkhoff: nothing to disclose, Daniel Bos: nothing to disclose, Hester Lingsma: nothing to disclose, Bob Roozenbeek: nothing to disclose