Dameron Hospital | Health Outlook | Spring 2018

SERVICES FOR YOU. Go to dameronhospital.org/services.shtml to learn about other services we offer. Precise technology Stanford’s physicians take information from CT and MRI scans and process it through a Stanford-invented computer program that builds an extremely sensitive and specific image. This image includes the speed, volume and location of blood flow throughout the brain. This visual map serves as a guide for making treatment decisions, and then confirms the effects of treatment. In some cases, clots may be dissolved through the administration of tPA (tissue plasminogen activator), the go-to clot-dissolving medication. In other cases, physicians called interventional neuroradiologists may have to thread a narrow tube, called a catheter, through an artery up to the brain, carrying miniature treatment tools. Those tools can either grab a clot to extract it or gently vacuum it out. This approach is generally referred to as endovascular therapy. “Based on the excellent clinical outcomes we’ve been able to accomplish in conjunction with the Stanford SIRS Program since 2015, residents who think they may be experiencing a stroke will be in very good hands when they come to Dameron Hospital,” says Dr. Reinke. “This is a great example of our commitment to improving the health of our community.” A ‘Code Neuro’ means action at Dameron As a part of Dameron’s commitment to providing the best in care, we have implemented a new rapid response process to identify and treat patients having a stroke. “Code Neuro” has been established to trigger a rapid team intervention for stroke patients at our Emergency Department (ED) or for inpatients experiencing new stroke symptoms. “When a Code Neuro is announced, a multidisciplinary team of nurses, physicians, phlebotomists and nursing leadership immediately responds to the code to rapidly assess the situation,” says Brad Reinke, MD, Dameron Hospital Chief Medical Officer and ED physician. “Our Radiology Department also responds by readying the CT scan to receive the patient and the Pharmacy team prepares to administer the special ‘clot-busting’ drug, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), if necessary.” Based on the CT results, the attending Dameron physician or hospitalist collaborates with the Stanford Stroke Center Team on treatment options. Patients experiencing ischemic strokes, which occur as a result of a blockage in a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain, may receive tPA intravenously. If they meet specific criteria, they are transported via air ambulance to the Stanford Stroke Center for further evaluation and endovascular therapy—the physical removal of the blockage using a catheter-based approach. For hemorrhagic stroke, which is bleeding caused by a burst brain aneurysm or a weakened blood vessel leak, the patient’s treatment will depend on the severity and location of the bleed. The vast majority of strokes are ischemic. “Our Code Neuro Program was developed to identify, diagnose and begin treatment of stroke patients in a matter of minutes, because the speed of treatment can save lives and reduce the long-term effects of stroke for the patient,” says Dr. Reinke. dameronhospital.org 5