Brain Attack: Time is of the essence
Many of us take the simple things in life for granted. We can hug our family and friends and tell someone we love them. We expect to walk down the street and hear the birds sing. But, what if all these things were stripped from us in a matter of seconds? For many stroke survivors, this nightmare is a reality.
The facts about stroke
Warning signs
A variety of treatments
The facts about stroke
Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability in the United States. It's the third leading cause of death behind heart disease. More than 15% of all stroke victims are left permanently disabled. "With all the statistics, I'm amazed after 25 years in medicine that I still see people who confuse stroke with heart disease," says S. Manzoor Abidi, MD, chief of neurology at Virtua West Jersey Hospitals. "Strokes should be taken as seriously as a heart attack. This is why we now refer to stroke as a brain attack."
Although brain attacks occur more often in men, women are more likely to die from an attack. "We should all try to control the treatable risk factors to try to reduce the chances of a brain attack," says Brad Tinkelman, MD, Virtua Health neurologist. "These include regulating high blood pressure, cholesterol and obesity, excessive alcohol use and smoking."
Warning signs
Approximately 80% of brain attacks are caused by a loss of blood supply to the brain. The other 20% are attributed to burst blood vessels. "People should look for the warning signs," explains Mitchell Rubin, MD, Virtua Memorial Hospital chief of neurology. "A brain attack victim may experience sudden loss of vision, slurred speech, difficulty with language comprehension or expression, weakness or numbness on one side of the body, lack of coordination or sudden severe headache. People experiencing symptoms of a brain attack should call 911 or seek emergency treatment."
Depending on the severity, brain attacks can lead to coma, paralysis, speech problems and even death. Dr. Abidi explains that time is of the essence. "Stroke treatment has come a long way in the past 20 years," he says. "The first few hours are critical. We have new drugs that could aid in a person's recovery if they are used within first three hours."
"Forty three percent of patients don't recognize they are having a stroke," says Joseph Hummel, DO, Virtua West Jersey emergency department physician. "Often the symptoms are mild or vague, without pain, so people don't respond immediately." Dr. Hummel explains that someone experiencing the symptoms needs to be immediately evaluated so a team of emergency room physicians, radiologists and neurologists can determine the best treatment.
A variety of treatments
At Virtua Health, patients benefit from sophisticated neurological and emergency treatments as well as rehabilitation services including transitional care units, rehabilitation centers and a full range of outpatient physical rehabilitation. Virtua will soon open dedicated stroke units at its hospitals in Marlton, Voorhees and Memorial. This means that everything a stroke victim needs, beginning with paramedic personnel in the field, will be right there including highly trained doctors, specially trained nurses and leading edge equipment to make the diagnosis and treatment of brain attacks even better.
Virtua Health also plays a strong part in the American Stroke Association's Operation Stroke in Camden County. Operation Stoke is comprised of hospitals and other public organizations involved in the treatment of brain attacks. These groups join forces to increase awareness of brain attacks through public education as well as to unify treatment standards to provide the best care for brain attack victims. As part of Operation Stroke, the group will set-up a variety of primary stroke centers throughout the community.