When someone has a stroke, time is critical. The quicker a person can get treatment, the greater the chances they have of surviving the stroke and minimizing damage to the brain and body.
A stroke occurs when part of your brain is cut off from sufficient blood flow. This can happen due to a blocked artery or bleeding in the brain.
The Cleveland Clinic has been using a mobile stroke unit to get help to stroke patients quicker. The unit is a specialized ambulance that has a CT scanner on board and a telemedicine link to a neurologist for fast diagnosis and treatment. The unit marked its 10th anniversary recently in July.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a stroke occurs every 40 seconds in the United States. Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability and the 5th leading cause of death in the United States.
Dr. Blake Buletko joined Ideastream’s “Sound of Ideas” program recently to talk about the work the unit is doing.
The unit works in concert with EMS to diagnose and get patients to the hospital quickly. “We go the same time as EMS. And usually, EMS gets there a little bit before we do and does a quick evaluation. If they deem that the person is having a stroke, we still come on scene. If not, they call us off,” said Buletko.
The idea for mobile stroke units originated in Germany and has been replicated at hospitals in the United States. The Cleveland Clinic’s unit was among the first created in the United States. The unit has been in operation since 2014.
Mike Wiertel was working downtown on January 25, 2022, when he had a stroke, although he didn’t realize it at the time. “I walked back to my truck and sat down and went to put my keys in the ignition and, they didn't go in. And in my mind, I put them in and I looked down. My keys were still in my hand, and I tried it again and they didn't go into the ignition,” said Wiertel.
Wiertel had a co-worker with him, Skip, who recognized what was going on and called for help. Skip phoned into the program to talk about that day. “My father had a stroke when I was a kid, so I've kind of been in that situation before. I knew something was wrong. I called 911.”
Wiertel says he’s convinced the mobile stroke unit saved his life and prevented him from suffering major physical damage. “It got me back to 98% of what I used to be. And I think that someday I'll get to 100%. But losing 2% after all that's happened is not so bad.”
Buletko says stroke is more common in older adults due to traditional risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and smoking. But it can happen to anyone. “We see people that are having strokes in their 20s and 30s and 40s,” Buletko said.
He recommends that everyone familiarize themselves with the warning signs of stroke.
The Cleveland Clinic uses the acronym BE FAST to help people remember the symptoms.
Someone suffering a stroke will experience sudden changes or loss of abilities and coordination as described below. Check out the Clinic's link on stroke for more details.
B: Balance
E: Eyes (blurred, double or loss of vision)
F: Face (drooping or numbness on one side)
A: Arm (weakness, numbness or paralysis)
S: Speech (slurring or difficulty forming words)
T: Time (call 911 immediately if someone has any symptom)
Guests:
-Blake Buletko, MD, Vascular Neurologist, Cleveland Clinic
-Mike Wiertel, Patient