Latest Emergency Treatment of Strokes

When Diane Book, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, was going through her residency, the instructions she received in treating stroke were fundamentally the same as were taught to the oldest of her colleagues. They were taught that patients experiencing a stroke were to be made comfortable and supported.

"We didn't run quickly to the emergency room when a stroke patient arrived, because we knew there was little that could be done," said Dr. Book. "No treatment for the acute phase of stroke was available."

In a few short years, that reality has changed. Dr. Book considers herself fortunate to be a stroke neurologist at a time of such tremendous progress.

New drug therapies, such as clot-dissolving tissue plasminogen activator (TPA), are being administered for acute stroke. TPA can be administered to appropriate patients experiencing an ischemic stroke within three hours of symptom onset.

Called a "brain attack," an ischemic stroke involves a blockage of blood flow to part of the brain. When supply is cut off or sharply reduced, brain cells quickly die. Ischemic stroke accounts for approximately 85% of all strokes.

Another very effective treatment is interventional radiology. Neuroradiologists can use cerebral angioplasty to open partially blocked blood vessels in the brain and neck. Stents (tubular wire mesh) may also be inserted to help hold blood vessels open and promote blood flow.

According to the National Stroke Association, two-thirds of strokes occur in people over the age of 65. With the population of older adults increasing, more people are at risk every day. For more information about the Froedtert and The Medical College of Wisconsin Neurology Clinic or the Stroke Program, please call 414- 805-3666.

Each year, Medical College of Wisconsin physicians care for more than 180,000 patients, representing nearly 500,000 patient visits. Medical College physicians practice at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, and many other hospitals and clinics in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.