MINUTES MATTER - 'THE RACE OF YOUR LIFE'

Interaction with expert doctors on World Stroke Day (29 October)

 Nearly ‘1 in 4’ will suffer a stroke in their lifetime. When it comes to strokes, every minute matters. Nearly 2 million neurons die every minute that goes by untreated. Agonizingly, close to 80% of patients with an acute stroke do not reach the time that is considered to be the golden period for stroke treatment.  Around 80% remain disabled for life if timely treatment is not offered. 

While interacting with Dr Vipul Gupta (Director, Neurointerventional surgery & co director, stroke) and Dr Rajsrinivas Parthasarathy (Head, Stroke and Senior Consultant, Neurointerventional Surgery) from Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon, it was asked about what to do when a stroke occurs and what causes a stroke?  They said ‘When a stroke occurs you have 60 minutes to win ‘the race of your life. In a stroke, the brain is starved of blood supply due to a blocked artery.’

We all know delayed treatment leads to poor outcomes. So, while interacting with the expert doctors it was asked about what is the treatment process? They said that ‘Exceptionally effective and successful treatments are now available to reverse the effects of stroke’. They added ‘The key challenge is the lack of awareness among people to recognize a stroke’.

We can feel uneasiness in our body and mind easily, but if you are aware of the symptoms, you can save yourself from lifelong disability. When asked about the symptoms of stroke, the doctors said ‘If you have sudden weakness in one side of your body or have trouble speaking, seeing or walking you could suffer from a stroke and you need to ACT FAST (F- facial weakness, A-arm weakness, S- slurred speech & T- time to call the ambulance).  The above acronym is easy to remember and best represents the symptoms of a stroke. Every second counts. So call an ambulance and go to the nearest stroke ready center’.

 While interacting with them, it was asked as to why they call the first 60 min as "Golden Hour?’ They said that Initiating treatment in the first 60 minutes (the golden hour) significantly reduces your chance of being disabled for life. Treatment in the first 60 min will help reverse the effect of stroke and will help you win ‘The race of your life’. Proper treatment will lead you to your normal life.

Knowing the process gives a sense of relaxation to the human mind. The stroke doctors were asked about the treatment strategies. The doctors detailed the complete process. They said, ‘When you reach the stroke ready center, advanced imaging is performed to see the extent of salvageable brain tissue and locate the site of occlusion in the brain artery. A clot-busting drug can be administered in suitable patients in the first 4.5 hours. Now, like in the heart, where a cardiologist performs angioplasty and stenting for an occluded coronary artery, neurointerventionalists can access the brain artery through a vascular approach in the groin and either aspirate the clot through a large-bore tube or use a stent to engage the clot and retrieve it. This procedure is most effective in the first 6 hours following stroke onset. Sometimes the procedure can be offered to select patients for up to 24 hours.

When asked as to why they call ‘Time is brain’?  ‘Time lost is brain tissue lost’. A stroke ready or comprehensive stroke care centre activates a ‘STROKE CODE’ that alerts all physicians and allied personnel involved in the treatment of the stroke patient simultaneously.  Neurologists, neurointerventionist, neuroanaesthetist, radiologists, technicians, angiography suite staff and transport personnel are all alerted to save time. ‘It is beyond doubt a race against time to initiate treatment at the earliest to prevent further brain damage and is a truly fulfilling experience to see a stroke patient walk out of the hospital’ said the stroke doctors from Artemis hospitals, Gurgaon.