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We have recently been designated an official Stroke
Center by the New York State Department of Health. This designation is awarded
to select hospitals that meet the highest standards for stroke care, and it
means that our stroke team is available 24 hours, seven days a week to respond
rapidly to stroke patients.
The Stroke Center includes physicians and
nurses in emergency medicine, radiology, vascular and neurosurgery, physical
rehabilitation, neurology, and intensive care to provide a full range of
technologically advanced diagnostic and treatment services for stroke patients.
Team members work together to ensure that a patient's care is coordinated,
starting with specially trained emergency room staff who rapidly identify stroke
patients and determine the most appropriate course of treatment.
Our
stroke team provides continuous monitored care for patients who require
hospitalization, and our specially trained nursing staff provides expert care to
reduce stroke related complications. Patients also receive comprehensive
physical therapy rehabilitation from the first day of hospitalization, to ensure
that they achieve the best possible functional outcome upon
discharge.
Treatments
Under the
direction of Simhachala Raguthu, M.D., the stroke team rapidly evaluates and
directs the treatment for all stroke patients. According to the National
Institute of Health's (NIH) guidelines for acute ischemic stroke, there is a
"golden hour" where quick diagnosis and treatment are critical to saving the
patient's life. Dr. Raguthu and other stroke specialists are aiming to stop the
deadly and disabling effects of stroke by offering state-of-the-art care during
the "golden hour." Some patients benefit from a clot-dissolving therapy that is
administered within three hours of the stroke occurring.
Warning Signs of Stroke
Stroke symptoms appear
suddenly and can include any of the following:
� 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 walking,
dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination:
� Sudden trouble seeing in one
or both eyes.
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