St. Joseph's Healthcare System Contract with UnitedHealthcare/Oxford Networks has expired. Read more http://www.stjosephshealth.org/
Video Categories
Video Disclaimer
The Health Videos are for information only. The contents of the Health Videos, such as graphics, images, text, quoted information and all other materials ("Content") are provided for reference only, do not claim to be complete or exhaustive or to be applicable to any particular individual's medical condition. Users should always consult with a qualified and licensed physician or other medical c...
Read more...Related
More videos from this category
Warning Signs and Treatment of Stroke - Health Tips
Presenting Dorothea Altschul, MD, ABPN, Interventional Vascular Neurologist, St. Joseph's Healthcare System.
There are more than 700,000 new strokes in the United States yearly and stroke is the third leading cause of death.
The most common warning signs of a stroke include, sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg and especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion as well as trouble speaking or understanding; sudden trouble walking or seeing; and a sudden severe headache with no known cause. In 1996 a major breakthrough in stroke treatment came in the form of a medication called Tissue Plasminogen Activator, or TPA. This medicine only works within the first 3 hours of symptoms. Millions of brain cells die within each minute the brain is cut off from oxygen. There are other new treatments available to patients as of 2002. A special catheter can be inserted into one of the major blood vessels in the leg advancing to the brain to capture the blood clot and pull it out of the body returning flow to the affected area, but is only available in select hospitals such as St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center.
