Thanks to advances in stroke care procedures and strong partnerships with key partners, patients across the region now have better access to EVT (intravascular thrombectomy) screening at both hospitals through official channels. EVT is the latest model of ischemic stroke care where highly specialized stroke care teams can pass a guide wire and mechanically remove the thrombus from the brain to suitable patients. For patients who present within four to 24 hours of the onset of stroke symptoms, EVT treatment has impressive results and increases the time it takes to provide stroke treatment within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms. In Muskoka, the stroke center is located peripherally in Huntsville at the location of MAHC’s Huntsville District Memorial Hospital (HDMH). For the past two years, the Central East Stroke Network has been working to develop a tPA-free hospital procedure to improve stroke care in facilities that are not designated stroke centers, such as the MAHC South Muskoka Memorial Hospital (SMMH) Site. “Traditionally, through official acute stroke protocol services, stroke patients are transported directly to a Peripheral Stroke Center where they are screened and may be found to be receiving the drug that destroys tPA clots or treats EVT.” the chief of staff Dr. Khaled Abdel-Razek. “Teams at both hospital facilities are working in regional and interregional groups to launch a new protocol that ensures that patients across Muskoka have uninterrupted timely screening and access to EVT treatment.” This means that patients who come to any of the MAHC hospitals within four to 24 hours of the onset of stroke symptoms can access the EVT screening, which for some patients can lead to rapid EVT treatment at the facility. Toronto Stroke Network in GTA. “The SMMH website’s ability to access EVT counseling as a tPA-free hospital within the Central East Stroke Network is a huge step forward in improving brain care in the communities we serve, providing better access to the latest brain therapy,” adds Dr. . Abdel-Razek. “We are grateful for all the hard work from our Emergency and Diagnostic Department teams in collaboration with local EMS paramedics for their outstanding work to improve patient access to care.” A stroke occurs when blood stops flowing to any part of your brain, destroying brain cells. The outcome of a stroke depends on the part of the brain that was damaged and the size of the damage. Between 2017 and 2020, an average of 178 stroke cases were treated at the MAHC each year. “Always remember that ‘QUICK’ signs are the most common signs of a stroke and are signs that are more likely to be caused by a stroke than any other condition,” says Dr. Abdel-Razek. “These symptoms include changes in vision (blurred or double vision), sudden severe headache (usually accompanied by some of the other signs), numbness (usually on one side of the body) and balance problems. Stroke is a medical emergency and time is the brain. If you get any of these signs, do not drive to the hospital. Always call 9-1-1 and an ambulance will take you to the best hospital for stroke care. Time is brain and the saving therapy starts from the moment you call 9-1-1 “. Valuable information about stroke is available at heartandstroke.ca. Do not miss the Doppler! Register here to receive our email summary with links to our most recent stories. Local news in your inbox three times a week! Click here to support local news
