Answer: Great question. As per your Paramedic Prompt Care for Acute Stroke, the indications for transport include patients that can be transported to arrive at a Designated Stroke Centre within 3.5 hours of a clearly determined time of symptom onset or the time the patient was “last seen in a usual state of health”.
These patients should then be transported CTAS 2 Code 4.
It should be noted that the presence of a valid DNR should not influence this decision. Rather (as detailed in our Webinar presentation on acute stroke which can be found on our website) terminally ill or palliative care patients are the contraindications determined by the Ontario Stroke Network, not a valid DNR.