A comprehensive stroke center is the next level of organization that is recognized. And as you might assume from its name, it not only provides the services that are seen in a primary stroke center, but it adds services into that. For ischemic stroke, which is the type of stroke that occurs when a blood vessel is blocked with a blood clot, a comprehensive stroke center is not only able to give intravenous tPA, the clot busting drug, but it also offers the possibility of a procedure where a catheter is inserted into the main artery in the leg and advanced through the arterial system into the brain arteries where the clot is. And then the clot is retrieved using a number of different devices potentially that we currently have to do that. So comprehensive stroke centers are able to do both of those treatments. In addition, the comprehensive stroke treatment emphasizes treatment of the other type of less common stroke, which is called a hemorrhagic stroke. That occurs with a blood vessel breaks or ruptures and bleeding into the brain occurs. These types of strokes may look very similar but the hemorrhagic strokes have fundamentally different treatments that may include things like surgery, very careful blood pressure control and monitoring and care in the ICU. So these types of strokes are included in the scope of care of a comprehensive stroke center.
