ABSTRACT NUMBER: ESOC2026A536 MEDICAL STAFF TRAINING IS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED PATIENT OUTCOMES IN ACUTE STROKE CARE

Abstract Background and aims Data suggest that training of medical staff within organised stroke-unit care reduces door-to-needle time by 10-20 minutes and may improve clinical outcomes. In January 2025, acute stroke care protocols were updated and simulation-based training was implemented for emergency department physicians and nurses. The aim was to compare process metrics and patient outcomes before (2024) and after implementation of staff training (2025) in emergent stroke care. Methods This was a retrospective, institutional, RES-Q registry–based study comparing consecutive patients treated in 2024 and 2025. Group comparisons were performed using standard bivariate statistical tests (chi-square test, t-test). Results Among 344 patients who underwent a recanalisation procedure, 78 (22.6%) were treated in 2024 and 266 (77.4%) in 2025. Patients admitted in 2025 had shorter door-to-needle times (2024 vs 2025: 67.65 ± 40.16 vs 46.85 ± 21.19 minutes, p = 0.005), reduced by 21 minutes and door-to-groin times (123.38 vs 92.06 minutes, p < 0.00001), averaging a 31-minute reduction. Among patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis, a higher proportion were treated within 45 minutes in 2025 (20% vs 63,8%, p < 0.00001). Similarly, among patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy, treatment within 90 minutes was more frequent in 2025 (25,5% vs 59,5%, p < 0.00001). Clinical outcomes also improved, with lower discharge NIHSS scores (2024 vs 2025: 8.9 vs 3.3, p < 0.00001) and reduced in-hospital mortality (26,9% vs 12%, p = 0.002). Conclusions Targeted simulation-based training of emergency department staff was associated with shorter intervention times and improved clinical outcomes in an acute stroke care unit. Conflict of interest Catalina Gutu: nothing to disclose