Comparison of race scale to other assessment scales for large vessel arterial occlusions in the out-of-hospital level: A rapid review

Abstract

A significant proportion of ischemic cerebrovascu-lar diseases are due to large vessel arterial occlusions (LVAO). Some emergency services utilize scales to detect LVAO and determine the most appropriate treatment and medical center for the patient. The aim of this review was to compare the predictive value of the RACE scale for recognizing the presence of a LVAO with other scales used in the out-of-hospital setting. A rapid review was performed by applying the PRIS-MA methodology in PubMed. Twenty articles focused on the prehospital setting were retained. The most frequently evaluated instruments were NIHSS, CPSSS, LAMS and RACE. The scales evaluated demonstrat-ed adequate precision in the identification of such an event, without aiming to replace imaging tests. The RACE showed a predictive performance comparable to the other scales, although lower than the NIHSS hospital scale, it may therefore be a useful instrument in the out-of-hospital setting.