Goal and Treatment for Stroke Care
The goal for Stroke Care is for the patient to regain as much independence as possible with support, understanding and encouragement along the way to progress to recovery. Once you get to the hospital, the emergency team will work quickly to determine what type of stroke you’re having. You most likely will have a CT scan or other imaging test soon after you arrive.
Augusta Health’s stroke center delivers exceptional care so stroke patients and those at risk can live longer, healthier, more fulfilling lives. We understand the need to treat stroke patients quickly to restore movement and improve recovery.
Our leadership is demonstrated by our ongoing efforts to work with Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers to identify stroke symptoms earlier. With this collaboration, our stroke team can quickly mobilize before a patient arrives in the Emergency Department. Patients can be moved directly from the ambulance to a 64-slice computerized tomography (CT) scanner to quickly identify what kind of stroke has occurred. This rapid assessment ensures that patients who arrive within the necessary timeframe can benefit from tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, which can restore blood flow and limit damage to the brain.
You may also have the following:
- A physical exam
- Blood tests
- CT scan
- MRI
- Carotid Ultrasound
- Cerebral angiogram
- Echocardiogram
Other tests that a doctor may order when evaluating patients may include:
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) – diagnostic study of brain wave activity.
- Electromyogram (EMG) – diagnostic study of muscles and nerves.
- Evoked Potentials (EP) – diagnostic study of the nervous system’s response to external stimulation.