CoxHealth

HealthSense - Fall 2012

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Unique technology to diagnose stroke During a stroke, a blood clot blocks an artery or blood vessel in the brain. This prevents the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain, causing brain cells to die. When stroke attacks, time is critical. At CoxHealth, a number of practices are in place to treat stroke rapidly. One is MR perfusion, a scan of the brain that helps determine quickly whether a patient should have stroke therapy. This information allows a physician to make better decisions for the patient. "The 15 to 20 minutes it takes to complete the MR perfusion is remarkably short and allows us to speed up treatment decisions," explains Dr. Charles Gilliland, interventional radiologist. "The quicker we move, the more brain we are able to save." Stroke Honor Roll The American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association named CoxHealth to its Target: Stroke Honor Roll list for 2012. CoxHealth is the only health system in the Ozarks to receive this honor. It recognizes health systems that consistently treat tPA-eligible stroke patients in 60 minutes or less from the time they arrive at the hospital. tPA, tissue plasminogen activator, is a drug that can dissolve the blood clots that cause most strokes. Dr. Charles Gilliland He says this technology is invaluable in deciding which patients should receive therapy and what type of therapy they should receive. "MR perfusion helps us better diagnose and treat the patient," says Dr. Gilliland, who emphasizes the importance of knowing the warning signs of stroke. Listen to Dr. Gilliland's podcast at coxhealth.com (search MR perfusion). Do you know stroke warning signs? If you feel weak or tingly in your FACE, weak or numb in your ARM or your SPEECH becomes slurred, TIME is of the essence. Call 911. Learn your stroke risk with an interactive quiz at coxhealth.com/stroke. Your experts, friends, neighbors. 7

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