The Rapid Arterial Occlusion Evaluation (RACE) Scale Validated in First Study for Stroke Triage 

 Data from the first prospective study of the Rapid Arterial Occlusion Evaluation (RACE) scale in the US were announced at the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery’s (SNIS) 17th Annual Meeting. Study authors suggest the data validate the accuracy of RACE for identifying large vessel occlusion (LVO). 
 
The PREDICT study (NCT00542503) evaluated 232 adults suspected of having a stroke by US-based emergency medical service (EMS) personnel during transport to a participating comprehensive stroke center. The study was a prospective multicentered EMS-administered prehospital validation study. All participants had the RACE scale administered prospectively and their results were recorded in a secure web-based database. 
 
The RACE scale was previously validated by EMS in Spain for accurately identifying LVO and has been widely adopted in the US. In this study, results were similar to those seen in Spain. The health care infrastructure and EMS systems differ significantly between the 2 countries; the validity of the results from the Spanish study when applied to US systems was untested prior to this study.
 
“Standardizing triage protocols is critical for improving stroke systems of care and improving outcomes for patients,” said Dr. Robert F. James, senior author of the study and professor and vice chair, Department of Neurosurgery, Indiana University School of Medicine. “The findings of this study advance the validity of the RACE scale, which will help EMS determine stroke severity in the field and ensure that patients receive proper care as soon as possible.”