Time is brain: An online controlling of traffic lights can save lives

Recently, we showed an extremely low rate of thrombolytic therapy in patients suffering acute ischaemic strokes in Mashhad, in Northeast Iran.1 During the 12-month study period (starting from September 2011), the overall rate of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator was 1.2% (n=1144 ischaemic strokes). The mean onset-to-needle and door-to-needle times were 172 and 58 min, respectively.1 A similar problem can be expected for other emergency conditions in our region, such as acute coronary disease, in which the time-to-needle duration is a life-saving criterion. Such a low rate of thrombolytic therapy can be explained in several ways—from patients' health-seeking behaviours during the emergency conditions to prehospital/in-hospital infrastructures and facilities.1

Any delay in the golden minutes of emergency conditions, starting immediately after the index event, may significantly increase the chances of mortality.2 Therefore, improvements in each and every part of prehospital assessment, for example, notification, activation, response,...

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