STROKE TERMS
Stroke: Death of brain cells from interruption of their blood supply.
Ischemic stroke: Blockage of an artery to the brain by a clot forming locally or traveling from the heart; accounts for 85 percent of strokes.
Hemorrhagic stroke: Bleeding either within or on the surface of the brain, often due to the rupture of an aneurysm or dilated artery; accounts for 12 percent of strokes.
Transient ischemic attack: Temporary reduction of blood flow to an area of the brain with reversible symptoms when flow resumes; a TIA is often a forerunner of a stroke.
A middle-aged man arrives by ambulance at an emergency room at a small hospital 60 miles away from Chattanooga. Abruptly, he had lost speech and movement of his right side.
The ER physician diagnoses an acute stroke and notifies the Erlanger Southeast Regional Stroke Center. An air ambulance is dispatched. Lab studies are obtained in-flight to determine if subsequent procedures will be safe.
Upon arrival at Erlanger, the man embarks upon a tightly coordinated path of precise diagnosis and treatment. A series of imaging procedures shows a large area of brain at risk of death. An angiogram displays a clot within his skull, blocking an artery to the left side of his brain. A specialized team of vascular neurologists and interventional radiologists determines the most appropriate course of action and, after consultation with the patient's family, proceed.
A unique catheter is employed to retrieve the clot. A metal stent or sleeve is left in place to assure that a narrowed artery will remain open. His symptoms largely resolve. Outpatient physical therapy will address some lingering weakness in his right arm.
Stroke, the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States, is the leading cause of adult disability. The death rate from stroke in some counties around Chattanooga is three times greater than the national average because of increased rates of obesity, diabetes and vascular disease, all risk factors for stroke.