When stroke hits, it’s always an emergency situation. The saying “time is brain” relays the fact that stroke starts to destroy brain cells immediately. In fact, every one minute that passes, approximately 1.9 million brain cells are lost. The longer the brain is deprived of oxygen, the greater chance a person will have brain damage and disability.

However, when people act quickly, recovery is within reach. Natalie Lacer, Riverside Healthcare’s Stroke Program Coordinator, offers helpful information surrounding stroke and its impact.

Stroke Types and Symptoms

There are two major types of stroke: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic is caused by a blockage in the brain, where a hemorrhagic stroke involves bleeding in the brain. About 87% of strokes are considered ischemic. “Generally, hemorrhagic strokes are the ones that are more disabling. They can cause a person to be at higher risk for seizures,” states Lacer.

A person can also have a TIA, which is considered a “mini” stroke. But, TIAs should be considered just as serious as the other two.

The most common signs of a stroke include confusion, trouble speaking and understanding someone's speech, dizziness, headache, and vision changes. Individuals may experience numbness or weakness, usually on one side of the body.

Stroke Treatment Timeline

When a patient arrives to the emergency department (ED) with stroke symptoms, they are quickly triaged and a code stroke is called. “If they're coming by ambulance, we will call it from the field. Meaning, EMS will call in a report, and then we'll call a code stroke at that time,” explains Lacer. “When the patient arrives here, they're quickly assessed by our ED physician at the door. Before even going to a room, they're taken directly to our radiology department to have a CAT scan.”

The CAT scan does not necessarily show stroke, but it’s necessary to understand if there is bleeding in the brain. Once the scan is complete, patients return to the emergency room where the teleneurology group weighs in to determine the next course of action in regards to treatment.

If the patient is being seen within about a four-hour window of when the stroke initiated, they are eligible for a clot-busting medication. If within a 24-hour period, neurologists may proceed with a procedure called a thrombectomy.

“If you're not a candidate for either of those treatments, we will usually admit you to the hospital. We can treat you with different antihypertensives, statin therapy, aspirin, Plavix, that kind of thing. We would also, if needed, admit you to our rehab unit where we have 24-hour coverage, and they can work with you that way,” notes Lacer.

Introducing Artificial Intelligence into Stroke Care

A new development in stroke care is implementing artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Per Lacer, this technology can detect stroke within minutes after the CAT scan is complete.

“It used to take about an hour for all of those images to be read. Now, within 30 seconds to a minute after the initial scan is done, we can detect a bleed. What that does is synchronize our care. Our teleneurology group is on it, our ED doctors are on it, as well as our neurologists. We all get an alert, so we're able to make a critical treatment decision at that time,” she assures. “Minutes over hours.”

With this advancement, and the ability to perform thrombectomy procedures at Riverside—rather than transferring patients to Chicago—Riverside Healthcare is making strides to keep stroke care in the community and truly serve its residents. 

For more information about stroke care at Riverside click here.