Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Health Ministry

June 2005 - Stroke

Stroke. Time is brain.

The longer you wait the less treatment is available.

You can't go to any hospital.

Stroke care requires a Stroke hospital.

A community hospital does not have the resources to provide this level of care. Most of the delays in Stroke treatment arrive after the individual has arrived in the ER. Patients with a stroke must be rapidly evaluated by a head CT or MRI to determine whether or not they can receive a clot busting Agent. A clot busting agent can either be delivered by IV in less than 3 hours from the start of the symptoms, or by a more complex method using a transarterial catheter in <6 hours, in selected patients.

Stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death and the 1st leading cause of disability each year in adults. Stroke is a "treatable emergency" and is widely under-treated with fewer than 20% of those affected actually offered thrombolytics. Primary risk factors for stroke are hypertension, smoking, diabetes and atrial fibrillation. Secondary risk factors are a diet deficient in folate and homocystiene levels, high cholesterol and a sedentary lifestyle. Symptoms of stroke are sometimes denied by the individual, are typically not painful, and include focal weakness, speech difficulty, visual loss, and gait instability.

If you suspect yourself or another individual has suffered a stroke, Avoid Delays!! Get to a Stoke Center immediately!

- authors: Heidi Armonda, R.N. and Rocco Armonda, M.D.

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