Stroke: When 24-Hour Emergency Care Is Crucial

A stroke acts fast. At The Emergency Center, we’re ready to respond.

Both an ischemic stroke—a blood clot in the brain—and a hemorrhagic stroke—a broken blood vessel in the brain—can rapidly cause damage to surrounding brain cells. Cell death can begin within mere minutes.

Although a stroke comes on quickly, its effects can last a lifetime. Repercussions of a stroke include:

• weakness or paralysis on one side of the body
• problems with judgment, learning and memory
• speech and language difficulties
• depression

The good news is that a stroke can be halted and damage minimized if you access timely treatment. Doctors can administer medications to dissolve clots in the brain or perform interventions to remove clots directly. Either approach can limit a stroke’s effects and improve outcomes, but for medical or surgical interventions to be most effective, you have to seek—and receive—medical care as soon as possible.

Symptoms of a Stroke

You can’t diagnose a stroke on your own. But if you notice these signs, seek care right away:

• a sudden, intense headache
• confusion
• others not understanding what you’re saying
• dizziness or loss of balance
• trouble walking
• weakness or numbness in your face, arms, or legs
• vision problems

If you witness a stroke, you may notice the person:

• exhibits facial drooping
• can’t hold one or both arms up; the arms may drift down when you ask him or her to hold them up.
• has trouble speaking

24-Hour Emergency Centers Offer Rapid Response

Long wait times or fears of a surprise bill could lead patients experiencing these warning signs to wait until they can see a primary care provider. However, when it comes to stroke, “time is brain,” as many doctors say. Fast treatment is crucial to minimizing damage.

The Emergency Center offers 24/7/365 access to board-certified emergency medicine physicians, who treat you promptly after you arrive. They, as well as our intensive care unit- and emergency room-trained nurses, can move you rapidly to treatment.

An on-site computed tomography (CT) scanner allows us to take an image of your brain, if needed, and on-site radiologists can read those exams quickly. Similarly, our lab can rapidly provide blood-work analysis.
If you are having a stroke, we can triage you immediately to a hospital-based stroke center, bypassing a crowded emergency room. If you aren’t, we can get you home just as rapidly, without a long wait for discharge paperwork.

Either way, you need an accurate answer, fast—your brain and your life may depend on it.

Read more about our emergency services.

Sources:

1.  https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/about/

2.  https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Stroke-Information-Page

3. https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_strokesigns.htm

The Emergency Center

San Antonio
11320 Alamo Ranch Pkwy
San Antonio, TX 78253
Phone: 210-485-3644