In the United States, more than 795,000 individuals are affected by stroke annually. It’s the fifth leading cause of death in our country and a significant cause of adult disability. The good news is that more than 80% of strokes are preventable, and swift treatment can work miracles for stroke patients.
Time is of the essence when a person exhibits stroke symptoms. A stroke does its devastating damage quickly — a staggering 2 million brains cells die (and cannot be revived) each minute a stroke patient goes without medical treatment.
These odds are frightening, but simply remembering the acronym developed for stroke symptoms, BE FAST, lets you know when to place that crucial 9-1-1 call. Noticing any of these symptoms means it’s time to seek medical treatment.
B for loss of balance
E for changes in eyesight
F for facial drooping
A for arm weakness
S for speech, which becomes slurred
T for time to call 9-1-1
A recent experience I had illustrates the importance of early recognition. At our annual Veterans Day luncheon, a man introduced himself to me, saying that I needed to meet his wife. I did, and she went on to share her harrowing story, which fortunately has a happy ending.
One morning, she woke up with classic signs of a stroke, and because she and her husband were attuned to them, they called 9-1-1 immediately. She was whisked to Highlands-Cashiers Hospital in record time, with EMS notifying us ahead of time to activate our stroke team.
What happened upon arrival was amazing and reflects the highest level of care anywhere. Within 13 minutes of the patient’s arrival to our hospital, our ED doctor and a neurologist evaluated her, she received a CT scan, and we ultimately administered the clot-busting drugs that stop a stroke. This 13-minute timeline is 47 minutes less than the American Heart Association’s goal of 60 minutes.
To make this happen, the care team must work in extraordinary harmony. For example, our pharmacist anticipated needing to have the clot-busting medicine ready as the neurologist reviewing the CT gave the order for it to be administered. This impressive coordination takes careful planning, plentiful practice, and the expertise of the outstanding clinicians driving the care.
The well-known stroke care mantra is “Time is brain,” so if the patient hadn’t made the all-important 9-1-1 call and come to an accredited stroke center like ours, the outcome would have been far different. Every minute that passes could mean the difference between permanent disability and recovery. I’m happy to report that this patient has no disability, and one would never have known she’d suffered a stroke.
Good lifestyle choices are key to lowering your stroke risk, including eating a well-balanced diet, being physically active, avoiding tobacco, and maintaining a normal weight. Be aware also of your blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure, and consult your primary care provider about how to manage them if any are elevated.
Outcomes like this at Highlands-Cashiers Hospital have everything to do with our exceptional “door-to-doc” time, or the time it takes for a patient experiencing a stroke to get through our doors and begin receiving lifesaving treatment from a specially trained provider.
I’m proud to say that our average door-to-doc time is less than five minutes. There are many reasons for this, but streamlined processes, adequate staffing, and state-of-the-art medical technology are all important contributing factors.
Tom Neal, RN, MBA, MHA, is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) of Highlands-Cashiers Hospital. Neal is a proven leader with more than 30 years of progressive healthcare experience. Prior to his role at Highlands-Cashiers Hospital, he served as Chief Executive Officer of both Berwick Hospital Center in Berwick, Pennsylvania, and Greenbriar Valley Medical Center, Ronceverte, West Virginia, which are each part of Community Health Systems (CHS). Tom has an MBA from the University of Louisville, MHA from the California College of Health Sciences, BSN from Regents College of New York and an ADN from Jefferson Community College.
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