Patients & Families
Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability and the third leading cause of death in the United States. Over 780,000 Americans will suffer a stroke this year and nine out of ten stroke survivors will sustain long-term impairment. Stroke costs the US healthcare system over 62 billion dollars annually.
During an acute stroke approximately 1.9 million brain cells die each minute, hence the term “Time Is Brain”. Changes in stroke care have made it possible to either remove a blockage from a blood vessel or stop a vessel from bleeding in the minutes to hours after a stroke begins. Public campaigns emphasizing stroke as a medical emergency have created a growing national awareness that immediate access to hospital emergency departments is key to surviving stroke.
Pre-hospital emergency services now recognize the need to treat stroke as a medical emergency. Treatment of acute stroke within the hospital requires a re-engineering of delivery systems similar to that of trauma care. To recognize and help identify those facilities that have successfully overcome barriers to providing acute stroke intervention and secondary prevention, the Joint Commission designates the disease specific certification of Primary Stroke Center. For a listing of hospitals designated as Primary Stroke Centers in Texas, click here.
In addition, the state of Texas has recently designated stroke hospitals as Level I, II, or III to assist EMS in transporting patients to the nearest appropriate hospital for stroke treatment. Regional Advisory Councils (RACS) are currently drafting criteria for these designations and implementation is underway. A copy of this legislation can be obtained here.
Stroke Signs and Symptoms
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
If you or someone with you has one or more of these signs, don't delay! Immediately call 9-1-1 so an ambulance can be sent for you. Also, check the time so you'll know when the first symptoms appeared. You may be eligible for a clot busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) if it is given within the first three hours of the start of symptoms. This drug, when given can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke. There are other types of treatments that may be given depending on the type of stroke you are having – remember every second counts, so seek help immediately!
A TIA or transient ischemic attack is a "warning stroke" or "mini-stroke" that produces stroke-like symptoms but no lasting damage. Recognizing and treating TIAs can reduce your risk of a major stroke. The usual TIA symptoms are the same as those of stroke, only temporary. TIAs are also a medical emergency and you should seek immediate care!
What is Stroke?
Stroke is a disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. It is the No. 3 cause of death in the United States, behind diseases of the heart and cancer. Each year more than 795,000 Americans suffer a new or recurrent stroke. That means someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, so it starts to die.
Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability and the third leading cause of death in the United States. Over 780,000 Americans will suffer a stroke this year and nine out of ten stroke survivors will sustain long-term impairment. Stroke costs the US healthcare system over 62 billion dollars annually.