This is the only listing I could find on the Internet of hospitals with specially trained and certified staff for stroke! As stroke centers are being put into place all the time, this is a partial list. These are the best hospitals, but if you don't see one listed NEAR you, go to the nearest hospital.
Get to the nearest hospital possible. If it is unknown which hospital is best, tell them to go to the one that can be reached in 20-30 minutes or the nearest one. In remote areas, a helicopter ambulance is recommended. Above all else, getting to the hospital quickly is the most important thing you can do.
Before the ambulance arrives Here are things you can do next.
Give CPR or mouth to mouth resusitation if needed.
Do not attempt to move them or the head or neck, if in an accident situation where the neck may be broken or with a head wound. Make the stroke victim as comfortable as possible. Loosen clothing.
Do not give them anything to eat or drink. Stroke causes the inability to swallow and they could choke.
Do not take aspirin, because you do not know what kind of stroke it is. Though aspirin can reduce blood clot, it could make hemorrhage worse. Aspirin produces a slight increase in the likelihood of a bleeding (hemorrhagic) stroke. If an aspirin has been taken that day, be sure to tell the ER. This could affect the amount of clot-busting or other drugs that will be taken at the hospital.
Breathe Deeply. Taking slow, deep breaths can help to calm the stroke victim, while providing more oxygen to the brain. Keep them lying down and talk to them reassuringly.
Keep the Head Cool, the body warm. If you have ice packs, you can apply them to the head briefly keep it cool. Wrap in a thin cloth or it will be too cold. Keeping the head cool cuts down on the inflammatory reaction during stroke and may help with the painful headache during stroke. Covering them with a coat or blanket to keep the body warm will prevent shock.
When the ambulance comes, be sure they know they have a stroke victim and to call the hospital ahead of time, again alerting the ER that it is a STROKE.
Give oxygen Be sure oxygen is given as soon as possible. A stroke lasts after the initial symptoms start. It may last for hours or even a couple of days, with progressive brain damage. During the stroke, oxygen is cut off to brain cells and they die. With increased oxygen intake, some brain cells may be saved. There may be no signs in difficulty with breathing—or they could be hyperventilating or breathing in rapid shallow breaths. Either way, deep breathing will help.
The emergency crew may not want to give oxygen if there are no signs of breathing difficulty. It is possible to have too much oxygen, but it is unlikely and the emergency staff will know how to avoid this. If for some reason, oxygen is not available or is not given, continue the deep breathing during the ride to the hospital. With or without extra oxygen, deep breathing may also serve to relax spasms in blood vessels, so this could shorten or lessen the damage from stroke.
Call your medical doctor. Have him meet you at the hospital if possible. Your doctor will have information about the stroke victim that you do not have. If the hospital is not a JCAHO Designated Stroke Center, ask if there is a neurologist that will be able to be there within an hour to evaluate and recommend tests. (Your regular doctor may not be able to evaluate or recommend tests as well as a neurologist.) If the answer is “no”, ask if your doctor or the hospital can get one. This may seem strange that you have to do all this, yet this is exactly why going to a JCAHO Designated Stroke Center is so important. The trained team and neurologist is available 24 hours a day and is ready for evaluation and tests within a short period of time. You have less than 3 hours to determine if the person can take t-PA, the clot-busting drug that can make the difference between life and death, severe or mild disability. The drug must be taken within 3 hours time in order to have an effect. Although this drug has been available for several years, studies show, very few people who could benefit from the drug, actually receive it.
Go to the hospital with them. Be sure someone (preferably the closest relative) goes to the hospital to answer questions and fill out forms. Without this step, proper treatment could be delayed or unable to be given at all. Some treatments, such as t-PA clot busting drug need critical information and, in most places, consent in order to be administered. Your stroke victim may be unable to speak and not be able to give any information or consent.
After they are stabilized, order more FREE information email bschacker@strokefamily.org for "What Families Can Do in the Hospital to Help Stroke Recovery". This short article will give the "ins and outs" of dealing with stroke in the hospital with many helpful tips that will enhance recovery and save much heartache and pain.
*Note: JCAHO stands for Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
The author, Barbara Dean Schacker, is the founder of Stroke Family, an organization devoted to educating and assisting families in stroke and speech recovery. Ms. Schacker has created informal speech practice kits and stroke recovery guides for families to help their loved ones recover their speech and physical abilities after stroke or head-injury.
Unfortunately, many stroke survivors have another stroke. Print this out for future reference. Get the "Rebuilding the Body After Stroke" guide for excellent ways to prevent another stroke.
Stroke Family can be visited at http://www.strokefamily.org.
Stroke Family’s Toll Free Information and Help Hotline is 1-877-835-3157.
Copyright 2006, Barbara Dean Schacker
