When diagnosing and treating stroke, every second counts. So that time is life. The human chain of battle against this cerebrovascular disease at the Reina Sofia Hospital in Córdovar began with the arrival of a team from Spain. 061 Arrive at the notified location.
There, they explore and collect all possible information – the person’s characteristics, risk factors, whether they received any treatment and when symptoms began – and transfer it to stroke unit when they arrive at the hospital by phone. This is how the stroke code is activated.
Neurologist Reina Sofia said that when the patient arrived, “we were ready to receive him in the emergency room and then proceed directly to a CT examination”. Maria Jose Alvarez. In CT, a “multidisciplinary approach” is performed together with the radiologist, and “the decision is made there.”
Mainly, they decide whether a person affected by a stroke is a suitable candidate for treatment Thrombolysis or thrombectomy. The first treatment focuses on patients whose symptoms began up to four and a half hours ago and is administered through an intravenous injection of rTPA. The aim, doctors explain, is to “break up blood clots to restore circulation at the brain level.” The less time a patient has to evolve, the better the prognosis, the better the outcome and the fewer complications,” he noted. However, “the closer it gets to four and a half hours, the likelihood of significant neuronal death increases. ”
On the other hand, as long as the patient’s imaging characteristics allow for it, thrombectomy “is acceptable for longer; up to six hours is ideal, but earlier is better, according to research.”
Once treatment is complete, experts monitor them for “a necessary period of time until they are stable, usually 24 hours, although some patients require more time because their condition is more unstable.” Once completed Observation timeAfterwards, they went to the inpatient ward, where doctors continued “research into the cause of the stroke.” Once they are discharged, follow-up visits are conducted in the outpatient clinic.
Treatment at the Reina Sofia Stroke Unit in 2022 864 patients Who had a stroke. As of 2023, they have treated nearly 500 people. It happens that the Cordoba hospital not only helps citizens of the province, but also receives patients from Jaén.
stroke symptoms
The main symptoms of stroke are language disability (the person cannot find the right words or has slurred speech), facial asymmetry, or lack of movement in the arms or legs. “When symptoms occur acutely or suddenly, the first thing to think about from one moment to the next is that the person is having a stroke, and the sooner you act, the better,” the doctor explained.
In this regard, he added, “People recognize the symptoms of stroke and know how to spread them to 112 It is vital that the chain moves as quickly as possible. “There is nothing we can do until emergency services arrive.
risk factors
“Sometimes you’re surprised at how young the patients are,” Alvarez said.The reason may be that living habit Examples include drug use, smoking and alcohol abuse, not following an adequate diet and a sedentary lifestyle.
As far as he’s concerned,”pressure As an independent risk factor, it does not appear to be associated with stroke. Chronic stress clearly increases the risk of hypertension and diabetes, so in that sense they are clear risk factors,” the neurologist clarified.
One in six people will have a stroke in their lifetime, and Women are at greater riskIn fact, it is the leading cause of death in the female population.
Doctors explain that the condition is more common in men until the age of 60, but then increases in women. Those most affected are patients with poor lifestyle habits, diabetes, hypertension or dyslipidemia, especially those with “poor control”.besides Smoking habit “It’s usually very present.”
this die This depends on the severity of the stroke: whether it affects small or large blood vessels. “Patients with blood clots in their aorta are more likely to develop complications (pneumonia, infection) even later in their admission,” Alvarez explained. “They are very vulnerable patients,” he added.
Most stroke survivors require a recovery phase. recovery, even if it’s short, because many people come out with clumsy hands or altered language. “That’s a battlefield; once they’re discharged from the hospital, it’s very difficult for them to recover,” he said.
Expert Reina Sofia stresses, “It’s not as easy as saying they will recover in three to six months, they have to leave with the idea of what has to be done. put in a lot of effort; In fact, recovery is sometimes possible after a year. “