Zero Degree Head Positioning News Today

Late-breaking science from a multi-center U.S. trial presented during the International Stroke Conference found that while hospital beds for stroke patients are typically elevated at the head, a flat head position before surgical removal of a blood clot in the brain (thrombectomy) may lead to better outcomes. Results of the ZODIAC trial were shared by researchers on the first day of the American Stroke Association’s ISA 2024 conference which runs through Feb. 9 in Phoenix, AZ.  

Positioning patients with large vessel ischemic (clot-caused) stroke with their heads flat (0-degrees) before surgery to remove the blood clot resulted in significant improvements in neurological function, compared to patients whose heads were elevated (at a 30-degree angle), according to preliminary late-breaking science presented today at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2024.