Time is brain

Posted on 1 March 2021

Mediclinic hospitals across South Africa are on standby to provide world-leading, evidence-based treatment protocols for stroke patients, with one goal in mind: saving as much brain function as possible.

Strokes don’t discriminate. They can happen in the blink of an eye. To anyone, at any time. This is a major medical emergency that can change your whole life.

The good news? Mediclinic has spent the past few years standardising stroke treatment protocols across all our hospitals in South Africa. We’ve put in place ground-breaking processes and guidelines that ensure stroke patients receive the best, most appropriate, evidence-based care – and the project is showing early, life-saving results.

THE BRAIN USES 20% OF THE BODY’S OXYGEN

Your brain requires a constant supply of oxygen to function optimally. “The longer your brain goes without oxygen, the more brain cells you lose,” explains Dr Daniel Fiandeiro, an emergency medicine specialist at Mediclinic Pietermaritzburg. A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted – and it can have disastrous consequences.

BRAIN TISSUE CAN’T WITHSTAND A LACK OF OXYGEN

This means the brain is damaged within minutes of a stroke occurring – unlike other tissues in your body, the brain has no natural recovery process to reverse that damage, says Dr John Gardiner, an experienced neurologist at Mediclinic Constantiaberg. Early, expert medical intervention is crucial, and Mediclinic’s stroke treatment protocols are designed to be speedy and efficient.

ABOUT 80% OF STROKES ARE ISCHAEMIC IN ORIGIN

When a blood vessel ruptures and blood flows into the brain substance under pressure, this is known as a hemorrhagic stroke. The other type is an ischaemic stroke, where a vessel becomes blocked, cutting off oxygen from the brain. Both can cause immediate, lasting damage to the brain, but require different treatment protocols to halt the damage.

ONCE A STROKE HAS OCCURRED, EVERY MINUTE COUNTS

By the time a stroke patient arrives in hospital, the damage has begun, says Dr Jaclyn Prim, Emergency Centre Head: Mediclinic Vergelegen. “We need to halt that process to restore blood flow to the brain and prevent lasting brain damage, so time is crucial. The earlier we can identify which kind of stroke has occurred, and when, and which part of the brain is affected, the earlier we can get you into the correct treatment system – and the better for your brain.”

PATIENTS ON AVERAGE WAIT 20-30 MINUTES BEFORE THEY TELL ANYBODY ABOUT THEIR SYMPTOMS

This is largely because of fear of the unknown, explains Dr Gardiner. “The key to a good outcome is time,” he adds. “The earlier a stroke victim is received at the Emergency Centre, the better – doctors need time to give the patient a CT or MRI scan to determine which kind of stroke they are dealing with, so that they can administer the most appropriate treatment plan.”

ACT FAST

To recognise the signs of a stroke, remember the acronym FAST:

Face drooping

Arm weakness

Slurred speech

Time to move.

 

“Appreciating the need for speed at this stage could be the difference between good outcomes and bad,” says Dr Fiandeiro. “Not all stroke patients require the same treatment – what could benefit one, could potentially harm another. So we need to see those patients soon, we have to move quickly, and we have to be careful too.”

OUR STROKE TREATMENT PROTOCOLS ARE WORLD-CLASS

“A stroke doesn’t have to be a death sentence,” says Dr Melanie Stander, Emergency Medicine Manager: Mediclinic Southern Africa. “If we get a stroke patient into the ambulance and into the hospital quickly, and can identify the right treatment at the right time, they could possibly recover and go on to live a long and healthy life. The faster we move, the more we can do – and Mediclinic is committed to doing as much as we can.”