Healthy Colorado: Penrose Hospital receives stroke center designation
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Penrose Hospital was recently designated as a DNV comprehensive stroke center. This certification means they treat all types of stroke patients and don't have to send them to other hospitals.
"Time is of paramount importance," says Dr. Jonathan Greco. "If you can get to us quickly enough we can limit the amount of disability you have from a stroke. And if you get here very, very quickly, sometimes we can eliminate disability completely."
Doctors urge that everyone know the saying 'Be Fast' and be on the lookout for sudden signs that could mean a stroke.
- B - balance is off
- E - eyes change and vision issues
- F - face drooping
- A - arm weakness
- S - speech suddenly slurs
- T - time becomes of the utmost importance and act fast by calling 911 or getting to the hospital
"For every minute that treatment is delayed, 1.9 million brain cells will die in that one minute," says Dr. Greco. "That equals about 14 billion synapses that are lost and if you were to put those nerves end to end and add it all up that's 7 and a half miles of nerve fiber that are lost for every minute that treatment is delayed."
And now Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs has become a DNV comprehensive stroke center. And that designation means they can treat all stroke patients.
"If you need higher level of care and more intervention to Penrose you'll come as a comprehensive stroke center patient," says Dr. Maria Aguilar.
There are two types of strokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic. About 90% of strokes are ischemic, meaning there is a blockage in a blood vessel in the brain. Hemorrhagic is rare and happens when an artery in the brain leaks blood or bursts.
"These machines help us pinpoint exactly where that clot is and then we can using these 3-dimensional images, find it, remove it, and then restore flow, blood flow to the starving brain," says Dr. Greco.
Doctors say that 80% of strokes are preventable with lifestyle changes.
"Try and keep your weight within normal, don't smoke, if you drink, drink with moderation, the Mediterranean diet, low salt, decrease red meat and those should start now for everybody at any age," says Dr. Aguilar.
High blood pressure is the main risk factor for stroke, according to doctors. The extra force inside your blood vessels can cause small tears, which turn into scar tissue when they heal. Plaque builds up on these scarred areas, leading to blockages and blood clots.
