Lancet neurology
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Review
Mobile stroke units for prehospital thrombolysis, triage, and beyond: benefits and challenges.
In acute stroke management, time is brain. Bringing swift treatment to the patient, instead of the conventional approach of awaiting the patient's arrival at the hospital for treatment, is a potential strategy to improve clinical outcomes after stroke. This strategy is based on the use of an ambulance (mobile stroke unit) equipped with an imaging system, a point-of-care laboratory, a telemedicine connection to the hospital, and appropriate medication. ⋯ Moreover, novel medical options for the treatment of stroke patients are also under investigation, such as prehospital differential blood pressure management, reversal of warfarin effects in haemorrhagic stroke, and management of cerebral emergencies other than stroke. However, crucial concerns regarding safety, clinical efficacy, best setting, and cost-effectiveness remain to be addressed in further studies. In the future, mobile stroke units might allow the investigation of novel diagnostic (eg, biomarkers and automated imaging evaluation) and therapeutic (eg, neuroprotective drugs and treatments for haemorrhagic stroke) options in the prehospital setting, thus functioning as a tool for research on prehospital stroke management.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Safety and efficacy of pitolisant on cataplexy in patients with narcolepsy: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Histaminergic neurons are crucial to maintain wakefulness, but their role in cataplexy is unknown. We assessed the safety and efficacy of pitolisant, a histamine H3 receptor inverse agonist, for treatment of cataplexy in patients with narcolepsy. ⋯ Bioprojet, France.