ABSTRACT
The effect of an acute stroke unit (ASU) on the care of stroke patients in the United States has never been adequately tested. Consequently, many critical questions remain. Do ASUs represent an improvement in health-care delivery in the U.S. health-care system? Can ASUs in the United States improve functional independence if most rehabilitation is provided at a separate facility from the ASU? Is the emphasis in the United States on reduction of acute care costs, morbidity, and mortality enough to justify the development of ASUs? Despite these unanswered critical questions, the ASU will soon emerge as a growing presence in the U.S. hospital system. ASUs are growing in number as the need for certifi ed primary stroke centers increases. Their presence will offer new opportunities for stroke professionals to expand and improve the treatment options available to patients with acute stroke.
