HEALTH + WELLNESS
Dr. Ravish Kothari, McLeod Vascular Neurologist; Dr. Joseph Kearney, McLeod Emergency Physician; and Dr. Timothy Hagen, McLeod Neurologist, are part of the McLeod team who receive the RAPID reports and expedite stroke care at all McLeod Health hospitals.
RAPID Care of Stroke story by Dr. Timothy Hagen, Medical Director of McLeod Neurology Services A stroke happens when blood flow to an area in the brain is cut off. If not caught early permanent brain damage can occur. That is why every minute counts for a stroke patient when it comes to treatment. The most effective stroke treatment can only be implemented once the stroke is diagnosed. McLeod Health has installed new software that expedites stroke care for patients. The RAPID imaging technology quickly analyzes a head CT scan of patients experiencing acute strokes. The software is fast and automated with results being viewed on any computer or handheld device by the McLeod Neurology Medical Team. Within minutes, scans with stroke test results are being sent to McLeod Neurologists, the Interventional Neuroradiologist, Emergency Physicians, Anesthesiologists, and Critical Care Specialists. RAPID quickly provides these McLeod Specialists with patient information, allowing them to rapidly assess the severity of the patient’s stroke and determine the most appropriate treatment. The faster patient information is delivered, the sooner treatment can begin and that can 14
VIPMagSC.com
May 2022
potentially be brain saving or even life saving for the patient. A CT scan of the head is performed to help distinguish between Ischemic stroke or a Hemorrhagic stroke. It is important to know which type of stroke it is to be able to determine the treatment plan. Ischemic strokes occur when a blood vessel to the brain is blocked by a clot. When this happens part of the brain is not getting the oxygen and blood it needs, which is a very dangerous and life-threatening situation. Ischemic strokes are the most common type of stroke accounting for 87 percent of all strokes, according to the American Stroke Association. The main treatment for patients diagnosed with an Ischemic stroke is a drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), which breaks up clots. The benefits of tPA are time dependent and should be administered as quickly as possible. The window of opportunity for giving the medication is four and half hours after the onset of a stroke. The
