Acute Care

Acute Stroke Team Inpatient Acute Care

A stroke occurs every 40 seconds in the U.S with 780,000 Americans suffering a new or recurrent stroke each year, and it’s the No. 3 cause of death following heart disease and cancer.

Acute Stroke Team

Time is of the essence in treating stroke in order to minimize damage to the brain.

Fletcher Allen’s Acute Stroke Team, which is ready to respond to stroke emergencies, includes the following specialists:

• neurologists

• radiologists and a neuro-interventional radiologist

• resident physicians

• stroke nurse practitioner

• pharmacists

This team:

• provides rapid diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering from acute ischemic stroke

• administers clot-busting medication known as TPA to prevent the progression of symptoms

• identifies patients who will benefit from interventional therapies such as surgery and thrombolysis – a minimally invasive treatment that dissolves abnormal blood clots and improves blood flow

Inpatient Acute Care

Once patients are admitted to the hospital, they receive a full work-up to assess the causes of the stroke. 

The Stroke and Neuro-Critical Care Team perform a comprehensive risk factor evaluation to identify any risk factors and counsel patients on ways to prevent and treat these risk factors. This team includes:

• neurologists with specialized training in stroke

• the stroke nurse practitioner

• neurology residents 

• medical students

Registered nurses with certification in neurological care, along with nurse case managers and social workers, work closely with the team to provide the best possible care for the patient and his or her family.