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South Orange Stroke Patient’s Son Gets Lifesaving Treatment For His Father in the Nick of Time at the Stroke Center at Livingston, N.J. --Thomas Carter never expected to have a stroke at age 52. That diagnosis did not come to mind when the South Orange resident fell over while he was gardening and trying to fill the family swimming pool. Despite his double vision, dizziness and inability to speak properly, Mr. Carter believed he was experiencing symptoms brought on by the warm weather. “I lost the use of my voice and the right side of my body, but I still thought it was heat stroke,” says Mr. Carter, who then tried to persuade his 12-year-old son Alex not to call paramedics. He thought the matter was too trivial for help to be called. Fortunately for Mr. Carter, Alex ignored his father’s advice. He called his mother, Victoria, and 911, a response which would save precious time that would be needed to treat the stroke. After determining that Mr. Carter was having a stroke, the ambulance team called ahead to Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston to alert them of the arrival of a stroke patient. With stroke patients, every second counts. There is a three hour window of time for clot-busting medication to be given in order for patients to fully benefit from its healing effects. After 180 minutes, if the same medication is given, the risk of bleeding into the brain is increased. “Most strokes are ischemic, which means they occur from clots blocking the blood flow to the brain,” says Anna Khanna, M.D., Medical Director of The Stroke Center at Saint Barnabas who is board-certified in both Neurology and Vascular Neurology. “If tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is given within 180 minutes to treat the acute stroke, some patients see a dramatic reversal of any stroke symptoms and fewer long-term complications.” Mr. Carter was successfully given tPA and by the next day he was 50 percent improved. In three days he was able to leave the hospital with only slight double vision remaining. “His dramatic recovery highlights the need for awareness about stroke symptoms and the importance of early treatment to future recovery,” says Dr. Khanna, who treated Mr. Carter. Victoria Carter, who fainted in the Emergency Department upon hearing her husband’s diagnosis, credits her son for his calm presence under pressure and the stroke team at Saint Barnabas Medical Center for her husband’s nearly full recovery. “Tom was resisting any form of help and Alex was a smart kid who kept a cool head,” she says proudly. “Alex’s ability to assess the gravity of his father’s situation and to respond in an appropriate and timely manner made all the difference in Tom’s treatment and ultimate recovery.” She adds that the care her husband received was outstanding and that the entire stroke team at Saint Barnabas Medical Center “truly rose to the occasion, especially Dr. Khanna and Doreen Monks, R.N, our stroke nurse.” Mr. Carter echoes her sentiments, saying that if it weren’t for his son he would “still be sitting in the garden.” He is thankful to the stroke team for delivering the medication that reversed his symptoms and prevented a difficult road to recovery that could have included the inability to walk or talk. “I would say to anyone not to be afraid seek treatment if they think they are having a stroke,” he adds. Correct Assessment and Treatment Critical to Recovery While ischemic strokes benefit from this medication, someone who is having a hemorrhagic stroke caused by bleeding in the brain should not be given tPA as it could worsen the stroke or cause increased bleeding. It is vitally important for the stroke to be assessed properly. To this end, Saint Barnabas Medical has assembled a stroke response team, called the Brain Attack Team (BAT), which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to race to each incoming stroke patient’s side. The hospital operator alerts the entire team via beeper simultaneously, bringing a neurologist, a medical resident and a stroke nurse practitioner to bedside within ten minutes. Also alerted, the CT technician, pharmacist and radio resident are all able to immediately provide scans, medication and support. “This system has allowed our stroke specialist team to assemble and respond to every stroke patient more rapidly than ever,” says Dr. Khanna. The Stroke Center at Saint Barnabas has an expert acute team of professionals who specialize in the rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke and offers comprehensive, compassionate, state-of-the-art care. When Every Second Counts Each year, more than 750,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke making it the third leading cause of death and the primary cause of adult disability. Stroke symptoms may be minimized and possibly reversed if treatment is delivered early. Patients must recognize the warning signs -- weakness or numbness of one side of the body, inability to speak or understand what others are saying, slurred speech, vision disturbance (usually in one eye), headache (usually with hemorrhagic stroke, described as the "worst headache of my life"), and dizziness or vertigo (a sensation of spinning). For more information, call The Stroke Center at Saint Barnabas Medical Center at (973) 322-9742. Date: September 7, 2007 Saint Barnabas Contact: Beth Salamon, 973-322-4926 [ top ] |
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