Current problems and future prospects for Japan’s Mobile Stroke Units

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  • HIROKI Masahiko
    Department of Neurology, Tsukuba Medical Center Hospital
  • KOHNO Mototsugu
    Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Tsukuba Medical Center Hospital
  • MISAWA Masaki
    Artificial Organ Research Group, Health and Medical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

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  • MSUの日本への導入と運用における問題点と展望
  • MSU ノ ニホン エ ノ ドウニュウ ト ウンヨウ ニ オケル モンダイテン ト テンボウ

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Abstract

<p>Stroke treatment should generally start as quickly as possible after the onset of a stroke. The mobile stroke unit (MSU) is a specialized ambulance equipped with a small computerized tomography (CT) scanner and telemedicine system, enabling the diagnosis and treatment of patients at emergency sites and triaging them to optimal hospitals. An MSU works in various regions, depending on the conditions of prehospital health care. In treatments involving tissue plasminogen activator for ischemic stroke patients, a randomized trial showed that compared to standard ambulances, MSUs offer better outcomes. However, in Japan, because available CT scanners remain unapproved, MSUs have not yet been installed. In the United States, which operates the most MSUs in the world, there are considerable financial risks in operating them due to expensive costs and pending reimbursements. In this paper, we review the progress of and problems with MSUs, discussing current issues and future perspectives in Japan.</p>

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