A stroke is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and
a leading cause of permanent disability. The stroke programs within Infirmary
Health's Neuroscience Center of Excellence provide immediate emergency
medical treatment to stroke victims to ensure that they receive the treatment
they need as soon as possible.
You may be suffering from a stroke if you experience the following symptoms (BEFAST):
Balance: loss of ability to balance
Eyes: sudden loss of vision
Face: loss of facial muscle control
Arms: loss of ability to control arms
Speech: slurred speech
Time: get help as soon as possible.
If you are suffering from a stroke, seek immediate medical assistance by dialing
911.
Certified stroke care, close to home.
Infirmary Health continuously strives to be the Gulf Coast region's FIRST
CHOICE for healthcare. Our hospitals and freestanding emergency departments
have earned the following accreditations for stroke, illustrating our
staff's commitment to providing high-quality stroke care to our patients.
Mobile Infirmary - The Joint Commission certified Comprehensive Stroke Center
Mobile Infirmary Emergency | Saraland - The Joint Commission certified
Acute Stroke Ready Hospital
Thomas Hospital - The Joint Commission certified Primary Stroke Center
What is a stroke?
A stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks blood supply to the brain or causes
a blood vessel in the brain to burst. Stroke does its damage by cutting
off blood flow and nutrients to a part of the brain depriving it of oxygen.
This can cause long term effects including but not limited to paralysis,
trouble speaking or complete loss of the ability to speak, memory loss
and trouble performing routine actions such as eating or walking by oneself.
Ischemic strokes account for about 87% of all strokes. They occur when
an obstruction blocks the vessel supplying blood to the brain. In order
to treat ischemic strokes, the obstruction must be removed.
The gold standard for treating Ischemic strokes is tissue plasminogen activator--otherwise
known as r-TPA. r-TPA is administered through an IV, which dissolves the
clot and improves blood flow to the brain.
The key to receiving r-TPA in the hospital is TIME. Many patients do not arrive in time to the hospital to receive r-TPA; thus,
if you notice stroke symptoms in yourself or someone around you, dial
911 or get them to a hospital immediately.
Mechanical thrombectomy involves extracting a blood clot from a large vessel
occlusion (LVO) in suitable patients. This procedure is specifically aimed
at treating ischemic strokes caused by blood clots that obstruct blood
flow to the brain. At Mobile Infirmary, neuro-interventionalists and interventional
radiologists have access to bi-plane imaging technology, which provides
them with greater precision and outcomes when performing thrombectomy
procedures.
Hemorrhagic strokes
A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bursts often
causing death. Two types of weakened blood vessels typically cause hemorrhagic
strokes: aneurysms or arteriovenous malformations.
An aneurysm is a ballooning of a weakened region of a blood vessel. If
left untreated, the aneurysm continues to weaken until it ruptures and
bleeds into the brain. An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a cluster
of abnormally formed blood vessels. Any one of these vessels can rupture,
also causing bleeding into the brain.
Risk factors for a stroke
While some risk factors are hereditary and cannot be helped, most result
out of lifestyle choices that are preventable by intentional healthy living.
Hereditary risk factors include:
Age
Gender (men are at a heightened risk)
Race
Diabetes
Prior strokes
Family history
Controllable risk factors include:
Heart disease
Transient ischemic attacks
High blood pressure
Smoking
Lack of exercise
Alcohol abuse
Obesity
High cholesterol
High red blood count
Infirmary Health strives to provide its community the highest quality evidence-based
stroke care. The information listed in
this report provides data on key performance measures.
Treatment and Rehabilitation
Stroke can be treated through a combination of medication and physical
therapy. The faster a stroke is treated, the more promising the outcome.
Usually, thrombolysis treatments are used in which blood thinner medication
is inserted into the affected area to break up the clot. Then rehabilitation
is used to recover from the strokes affects.
STEPS Stroke Rehabilitation Program
Infirmary Health offers the STEPS stroke rehabilitation program at
J.L. Bedsole / Rotary Rehabilitation Hospital. The program is focused on stroke treatment, education, prevention, and safety.
With a vision of allowing patients to become health and independent individuals
again, the program offers practical assistance such as:
Robin Schwartz, MDNeurologyDiagnostic & Medical Clinic | Mobile 1720 Springhill Avenue
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