Initial Stroke Thrombectomy Experience in New York City during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Our health system workflow triaging patient transfer for thrombectomy. First, COVID-19 status is interrogated concurrently with the initial work-up. If the patient presents to a primary stroke center, he or she is transferred to the nearest thrombectomy-capable center. Concurrently, if necessary, the endovascular team mobilizes to the target center. Postprocedurally, all patients are transferred to the centralized comprehensive stroke center. If confirmed positive for COVID-19 infection, the patient is transferred to the dedicated COVID intensive care unit for respiratory and neurologic monitoring. If negative, the patient can recover in the standard neurosurgical intensive care unit. PUI whose test results are pending, immediately after thrombectomy, are placed in negative pressure rooms in the neurosurgical intensive care unit and transferred to the COVID-19 intensive care unit if the results return positive. ICU indicates intensive care unit; INR, interventional neuroradiology; CSC, comprehensive stroke center; TCC, thrombectomy-capable center; PSC, primary stroke center.