Sequoia Hospital has been ranked by HealthGrades among the top 10 percent in the nation for stroke care in 2008 and earned stroke center certification from the Joint Commission, which accredits more than 15,000 U. S. healthcare organizations and programs. To learn what to do in case of stroke, check this Q&A with John Meharg, M.D., medical director of Sequoia’s Emergency Department, and Mark Saleh, M.D., medical director of Sequoia’s Stroke Services.
- Q: What, exactly, is a stroke?
- Dr. Meharg: Stroke is a blockage of blood flow to the brain, which results in areas of the brain getting insufficient blood circulation and oxygen. Ischemic strokes, about 90 percent of all strokes, are caused by blockage of blood flow; hemorrhagic strokes are caused by burst blood vessels and bleeding in the brain.
- Q: How is ischemic stroke treated?
- Dr. Meharg: Stroke is sometimes called a “brain attack,” and time is of the essence in treatment, just as it is in treating heart attack. Time lost is brain lost. The No. 1 treatment—a drug called tPA—is capable of dissolving blood clots and opening up blood flow to the brain, but it must be administered within three hours of the onset of the symptoms. Call 9-1-1 immediately at first signs of stroke.
- Q: What are the signs of stroke?
- Dr. Meharg: The most common symptom is sudden onset of paralysis or weakness, typically in an arm or leg on one side of the body. Along with that can come sudden numbness or loss of sensation in a limb, as well difficulty with speech and loss of vision. Occasionally, there is dizziness, double vision or difficulty swallowing.
- Dr. Saleh: One of the goals of Sequoia’s stroke center is to increase public awareness of stroke symptoms so patients will seek care more quickly. Research shows that only 3% of patients who have a stroke receive tPA because most stroke patients show up too late to the hospital to be eligible for treatment.
- Q: What should be done if anyone sees signs of stroke?
- Dr. Saleh: The recommendation is to call 9-1-1 if any of the symptoms occur. Because emergency personnel are part of the stroke services system, a call to 9-1-1 results in the hospital being alerted ahead of time and gets the process of diagnosis and treatment moving more quickly.
