If you have these symptoms, CALL 9-1-1

A stroke or "brain attack" is a type of vascular disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted by a blockage from a clot or from an artery within the brain that has burst. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, so it starts to die. The result is sudden disability that can include:

    * Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
    * Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
    * Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
    * Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
    * Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Exceeding national standards

El Camino Hospital offers stroke patients comprehensive treatment from emergency care to rehabilitation.

El Camino Hospital has received the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission for disease-specific care certification.

El Camino Hospital demonstrated that its stroke program is meeting and actually exceeding national standards and guidelines that can significantly improve outcomes for stroke to earn this certification.
 

Our world class physicians, nursing and medical staff have been involved in the American Stroke Association's Get With the Guidelines Stroke Program (GWTG) since the pilot study began in Spring of 2003. El Camino Hospital is one of the very first hospitals to achieve national recognition as a GWTG Stroke Hospital by completing predetermined criteria for stroke care and hospital improvement.

Call 911 immediately if you or someone you know is experiencing any of the symptoms of stroke. Tell the 911 operator that you or the person you are calling for may be having a stroke.

El Camino Hospital Stroke Team

Our stroke team, from admission to discharge, is made up of specialists from a wide range of disciplines. We combine our expertise to determine the best treatment plan for each stroke patient. Our multidisciplinary team consists of:

    * Case managers
    * Critical care unit nurses
    * Dietitians
    * Emergency department nurses & physicians
    * Intensivitists
    * Internists
    * Neurointerventionalists
    * Neurologists*
    * Neuroradiologists
    * Neurosurgeons
    * Occupational therapists
    * Pharmacists
    * Physical therapists
    * Speech therapists
    * Social workers
    * Stroke unit nurses

*These neurologists are also members of the Emergency Department Stroke Panel

Dr. John Barnes, M.D.
Dr. Peter Fung, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.A.N. - Medical Director
Dr. Leland Greenwald, M.D.
Dr. Ronald Hess, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Andrew Hsu, M.D.
Dr. Chen Liu, M.D.

Comprehensive round-the-clock services

As soon as a potential stroke patient arrives at El Camino Hospital, CT scanners and other state-of-the-art imaging technology is used to pinpoint the location, type, nature and extent of the brain injury. Our expert emergency room doctors, neurologists and neurosurgeons are available 24 hours a day to treat stroke patients.

Our professionals are trained to respond swiftly so that the best treatments may be administered. Clot-dissolving drugs, such as t-PA, to break up the clot and restore blood flow to the brain to reduce brain damage may be recommended. These clot-dissolving drugs must be given within the first 3 hours after stroke symptoms begin - therefore timing is imperative!

El Camino Hospital's eight-bed stroke unit is located within our telemetry unit on the fourth floor of the hospital. Specially-trained staff are there to provide the best care during the acute and recovery phases of stroke. Our support continues by providing comprehensive patient and family discharge education tailored to each patients' individual needs, including referrals and information about local stroke support groups.

Risk Factors For Stroke

A stroke can be prevented if you take control of your risk factors. Talk to your doctor about how you can manage your risk factors.

Risk factors for stroke include:

    * Carotid artery disease
    * Diabetes
    * Excessive alcohol intake
    * High blood pressure
    * High cholesterol
    * Illegal drug use such as cocaine
    * Obesity
    * Peripheral arterial disease
    * Physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyle
    * Tobacco use