Stroke Treatment Puts Patients on Fast Track to Recovery

South Philadelphia residents can find advanced treatment for stroke, the third leading killer of Americans, at Methodist Hospital, where rapid diagnosis, evaluation and treatment ensures the best chances for recovery.

As a member of the Jefferson Stroke Center Network, the Methodist Stroke Program draws resources and expertise from leaders in stroke treatment. The stroke at Methodist provides comprehensive acute stroke care, performs progressive clinical trials, and works on secondary prevention to avoid recurrent stroke.

Because chances for tissue injury and brain damage increase with each moment following a stroke, fast treatment is crucial. According to Donna Collins, RN, MSN, stroke program coordinator at Methodist Hospital, "Patients with stroke symptoms can expect the same type of ‘fast track’ services available to patients with symptoms of a heart attack."

Tom McCarey, a South Philadelphia resident, experienced this ‘fast track’ care when he suffered a stroke in early February. While at home, Tom lost feeling on his right side, his leg in particular. "I moved my foot and I had no power. I tried to stand and just did a flip," he said.

Suspecting that her husband had a stroke, Tom’s wife told her husband to sit still while she called 911. According to the McCareys the emergency help arrived within five minutes. Two firemen helped Tom into an ambulance and took him to the emergency room at Methodist Hospital.

Once at Methodist, the stroke team acted quickly to evaluate Tom. He received a Cat Scan within 15 minutes to check for cerebral hemorrhage, otherwise known as "bleeding in the brain." After test results came back negative, and Tom’s medical history was reviewed, he was considered a good candidate to receive a breakthrough drug in stroke treatment called t-PA.

In June 1996 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, t-PA, for stroke treatment, but it must be used within the first three hours of the onset of a stroke. This new drug can limit the damage to brain tissue. Because the drug destroys blood clots, it cannot be used on anyone who has a cerebral hemorrhage.

While the stroke team cared for Tom, Donna comforted his wife in the waiting room. "We look at the family as a unit," Donna said. She said staff members or a chaplain usually stay with the family as they wait to hear about the condition of patients.

At 7:30 the next morning, Tom called his wife to let her know that he made a full recovery from the stroke! Tom surprised himself, his wife, and the entire stroke team with his rapid recovery.

Patients who receive t-PA usually take longer to show initial improvement, even though in the long term they can have a fuller recovery than patients who do not receive the drug. According to Donna, after 90 days, 31 percent of patients who received t-PA were likely to have little or no disability than untreated patients.

Even with his fast recovery, Tom stayed in the intensive care unit at Methodist Hospital for 2 1/2 days for evaluation. To help prevent the onset of a second stroke, he still sees his doctor once a month and takes an aspirin a day.

Since his stroke last February, Tom has returned to his regular lifestyle. He still works part-time in the summer as a security guard for the Philadelphia Philliess baseball team, goes shopping and meets his friends.

"They took good care of him at Methodist," said Mrs. McCarey. "They were wonderful. No complaints."

Methodist Hospital promotes prevention of stroke by talking about the disease at community events, senior centers and the Methodist Health Fair. People can reduce the danger of having a stroke by controlling blood pressure, maintaining low cholesterol levels and managing diabetes.

"Time is the enemy. People who experience symptoms of a stroke really have to try to get help quickly," Donna concluded.