Recognizing stroke as a national health crisis requiring immediate, coordinated Federal action, and for other purposes.

Recognizing stroke as a national health crisis requiring immediate, coordinated Federal action, and for other purposes.

Whereas stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States;

Whereas large vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes account for approximately 15 to 30 percent of all strokes and are associated with the most severe outcomes;

Whereas mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is a highly effective, evidence-based procedure that significantly reduces death and long-term disability in eligible LVO stroke patients, while being cost effective;

Whereas despite the proven efficacy of MT, only 3 to 7 percent of all eligible ischemic stroke patients in the United States currently receive this treatment;

Whereas treatment delays are associated with gaps in prehospital systems, including insufficient emergency medical services (EMS) recognition of LVO strokes, an absence of standardized triage protocols, and limited investment in EMS and public education;

Whereas a recent Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology survey found that just 15 percent of EMS medical directors provide stroke education biannually and only 33 percent of EMS medical directors use the American Stroke Association EMS curriculum;

Whereas time is critical in acute stroke care, and for every minute of treatment delay, nearly 2,000,000 neurons are at risk of permanent damage;

Whereas current EMS routing practices often transport patients to the nearest hospital regardless of the thrombectomy capability of the hospital, resulting in harmful delays from interhospital transfers;

Whereas the guidelines of the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association recommend EMS transport of suspected LVO patients directly to thrombectomy-capable centers within a 60-minute transport window whenever possible;

Whereas public recognition of stroke symptoms remains low, and only 10 States require continuing stroke education for EMS providers;

Whereas stroke is projected to become the leading cause of disability worldwide and remain a leading cause of disability in the United States by 2030, underscoring the urgent need for proactive national leadership; and

Whereas the Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology’s Mission Thrombectomy has designated May 15 as “World Stroke Thrombectomy Day” to support Mission Thrombectomy’s campaign to bring awareness to the benefits of stroke treatment intervention and the need for access to such treatments: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) recognizes stroke as a national health crisis requiring immediate, coordinated Federal action;

(2) supports the development and implementation of a standardized emergency medical services (EMS) training curriculum for stroke and large vessel occlusion (LVO) recognition;

(3) urges States and regional EMS systems to adopt and enforce routing protocols prioritizing direct transport of suspected LVO stroke patients to thrombectomy-capable centers when within recommended transport times;

(4) encourages increased Federal and State investment in public stroke education campaigns to promote timely 9–1–1 activation;

(5) calls for transparency in stroke center capabilities and outcomes to aid EMS routing decisions;

(6) affirms the need for equitable access to mechanical thrombectomy and comprehensive stroke care for all Americans, regardless of geographic location; and

(7) supports the goals and ideals of a World Stroke Thrombectomy Day.