The Stroke Center at Valley Hospital

A Primary Stroke Center Accredited
by The Joint Commission

When patients come to The Stroke Center at Valley Hospital, they can benefit from a range of specially designed services and treatment programs that focus on:

Prevention and intervention
Education
Active management of strokes by a multidisciplinary medical team
Rehabilitation

By providing comprehensive stroke care, The Stroke Center can help patients address a number of physical, emotional and lifestyle issues.

Our Stroke Response Team is immediately deployed to evaluate and treat stroke emergencies. Our team-based approach enables us to provide streamlined treatment and services that can help improve patient outcomes. Your team may include emergency physicians and nurses, neurologists, neurosurgeons, radiologists, registered nurses, physical therapists, speech therapists and case managers.

Within hours of your initial diagnosis, you’ll be given a designated stroke care plan to help ensure that you receive the medical attention you need for the best possible outcome. When you are ready for discharge, our case managers will help arrange for any rehabilitation services you may need to help you continue your journey to recovery.

Learning about tPA

What is tPA?
Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is a thrombolytic agent (clot-busting drug) that is approved for use in certain stroke patients. The drug can dissolve blood clots, the predominant cause of most strokes. tPA is the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the acute (urgent) treatment of ischemic strokes.

How can tPA help?
tPA has been shown to be effective in treating ischemic strokes ... strokes that are caused by blood clots that block blood flow to the brain.

In 1996 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of tPA to treat ischemic stroke, when administered within the first three hours of the start of symptoms. That's why it's imperative to seek help immediately if you think you're having a stroke. If given promptly, tPA can significantly reduce the effects of stroke and reduce permanent disability. tPA or other thrombolytics can reduce disability from stroke, but there is also a higher risk of bleeding.

Enhance Your Stroke Awareness

According to the American Stroke Association, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, following diseases of the heart and all forms of cancer. The statistics are frightening: approximately 700,000 Americans have strokes each year and someone dies of a stroke every 3.1 minutes.

What is stroke?
Stroke occurs when there is an interruption in the flow of blood to cells in the brain. Deprived of oxygen from the blood, the cells die. A stroke occurs when 1) a blockage of an artery prevents blood from reaching cells in the brain or 2) an artery ruptures inside or outside the brain, causing hemorrhage.

There are two kinds of strokes:
Ischemic strokes are the most common. They occur when an artery is blocked and blood flow to the brain is stopped.

Hemorrhagic strokes occur through the rupture of either an artery outside the brain or an aneurysm (a blood-filled bulge in the artery wall) at the base of the brain. Twenty percent of all strokes suffered are hemorrhagic strokes.

Warning Signs of Possible Stroke
Call 9-1-1 immediately if you experience, or if you witness someone else experiencing, the following:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or difficulty 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

Help Reduce Your Risk of Stroke

Control your blood pressure
Find out if you have heart disease, especially an irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation (AF), and get treatment
Find out if you have diabetes and get treatment
Don’t smoke
Lower your cholesterol
Limit your alcohol use
Control your weight

Stroke Patient Online Education Center

Click here to be directed to our online Stroke Education Center.

Stroke Patient Survey

After reviewing all the information in our Online Education Center, please take a moment to complete our survey.

Stroke Education Materials Survey

The Stroke Center Improves and Streamlines Care

Until recently, Glenda Stanko was a healthy active woman who enjoyed gardening, going for walks and taking care of her home. On April 1, the 66-year-old northwest Las Vegas resident awoke as usual. A short time later, she found that she suddenly couldn't move. Her husband, Stephen, was asleep and didn't hear her cries for help. Fortunately, the couple's dog, Khufu, sensed that something was wrong. He climbed on Mr. Stanko's chest and awakened him.

Continue...

What You Should Know About Stroke

Download "What You Should Know About Stroke" Flyer (PDF)

More Information

American Stroke Association

Stroke Connection Magazine

The Internet Stroke Center

Prevention Magazine

Nevada Diabetes Association

Note: The information on this Web site is provided as general health guidelines and may not be applicable to your particular health condition. Your individual health status and any required medical treatments can only be properly addressed by a professional healthcare provider of your choice. Remember: There is no adequate substitution for a personal consultation with your physician. Neither Valley Hospital Medical Center, or any of their affiliates, nor any contributors shall have any liability for the content or any errors or omissions in the information provided by this Web site.

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