Why do Italian stroke patients receive CT scans earlier than UK patients?

Computed tomography (CT) scanning is important prior to acute stroke treatm ent. We wished to identify factors associated with being able to obtain a C T scan quickly, from a recent large stroke treatment trial. A questionnaire survey on the organisation of CT scanning services for stroke was sent to 179 UK and Italian hospitals who had randomised patients into the Internati onal Stroke Trial and performed at least one pre-randomisation CT scan. Dat a from the questionnaire were analysed in conjunction with other patient da ta. Italian doctors expected the CT scans to be done more quickly than UK d octors, their hospitals were more likely to have a CT scanner operating all the time, and a porter was used less frequently to take the patient to the CT scanner. A few simple changes in the nay CT scanning is organised for s troke patients in the UK could speed access to CT considerably.