HUDSON Columbia Memorial Hospital has a new way to fight strokes. The hospital is using a new clot-busting drug known as Tissue Plasminogen Activator, or TPA. The New York state Department of Health certified the hospitals stroke center in March for its ability to treat stroke victims more effectively.
The hospital made the announcement at an event meant to bring attention to its new center, and was attended by the administrator of the New York Statewide Program for the Designation of Hospitals as Primary Stroke Centers.
Along with the new drug, the hospitals radiologic technologists, who are on site 24 hours a day, have been trained to provide neurological CT scans of the brain to determine if there is any bleeding, said Medical Director Norm Chapin. Chapin said that more than 150 people were trained as part of the new requirements that go along with being designated a stroke center.
According to a statement from the hospital, those include formal training for the staff to handle acute stroke patients, a plan for providing long-term, post-stroke treatment and formal stroke training for ambulance personnel.
With the TPA drug, the stroke victims see an average improvement of 50 percent, said Keene.
According to Keene, TPA is a naturally occurring enzyme in the body that works to disintegrate the blood clots after being injected into a patient intravenously as a powder mixed with fluid. By breaking up the blood clot, blood flow is restored to the brain.
Speed is of the essence in responding to a stroke, said Keene. He said the hospital has worked to improve its response time, from the time patients enter the emergency room and see a doctor.
According to a statement from the hospitals administration, CT scans are provided within 25 minutes of being ordered, interpretations of the scans within 45 minutes of patients arrival, and laboratory tests are completed within 45 minutes of being ordered.
According to figures provided by Chapin, 30 to 40 people per month are admitted into the hospital and tested for strokes, with about one-third of them testing positive for stroke complications.
Keene said that about one million brain cells die each minute there is a blood clot, or blockage preventing blood flow to the brain.
Read the original post:
Hospital unveils new stroke drug