June 4, 2018

Stroke Center Reports Calls On The Rise

Article origination IPBS-RJC
Pixabay/public domain

Pixabay/public domain

An Indiana stroke call center reports an increase in the number of cases they are responding to.  The Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine Stroke Call Center has the state’s only 24-hour team of physicians.

They respond to calls from doctors around the state to advise a course of action. Dr. Andrew DeNardo is an interventional neuroradiologist at the center.

"We were maybe getting one to two calls a week and now we’re getting about five to 10 calls a day," DeNardo says.

DeNardo says, besides general symptom awareness, recent advances in treatment options and improved recovery are also behind the increase in cases.  Time is crucial when identifying a stroke – symptoms include face dropping, arm weakness and speech difficulty. 

DeNardo says despite recent treatment advancements and greater awareness of symptoms, there's clearly room for growth.

"There is still a lot of areas that can use improvement, not just in the treatment algorithms but in the prevention algorithms," DeNardo says.

A healthy diet, no smoking and limited alcohol can help prevent a stroke.

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