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U.VA. STROKE CENTER TO HOLD OPEN HOUSE TO CELEBRATE 10TH ANNIVERSARY

The Stroke Center at the University of Virginia Health System will celebrate its 10th anniversary with an open house on Monday, Oct. 22 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Dining Conference Rooms off the main lobby of the hospital. Several doctors will be available to answer questions about treatment available at U.Va. as well as risk factors and symptoms of stroke.

The U.Va. Stroke Center provides state-of-the-art care for victims of stroke and transient ischemic stroke. Neurologists are on-call 24 hours a day to assess and treat acute stroke. The center provides t-PA treatment which, when administered as soon as possible after the onset of stroke, can often reverse the process of stroke. This treatment uses the clot-busting drug, t-PA, which has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. U.Va. is also conducting a clinical trial of t-NK, another clot-busting drug.

The center also offers advanced brain imaging including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with diffusion and perfusion imaging and angiography. In addition, the center provides overall care and has a team of specialists in the areas of neurosurgery, neurology, radiology, anesthesiology, critical care medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapy, nursing, social work and neuropsychology. This team of experts is able to effectively treat patients suffering from the entire spectrum of disease of the cerebral vascular system through the orchestration of the efforts of multiple health care providers.

Stroke ranks as the third leading killer in the United States, behind heart disease and cancer. Every year, approximately 750,000 Americans have a new or recurrent stroke. Knowing the warning signs of stroke and seeking emergency help immediately if they appear can reduce the risk of death or disability significantly. The warning signs of stroke are:

  • Numbness, weakness or paralysis of face, arm or leg-especially on one side of the body.

  • Sudden blurred or decreased vision in one or both eyes.

  • Difficulty speaking or understanding simple statements.

  • Dizziness, loss of balance, or loss of coordination

  • Sudden and severe headache with no apparent cause.

October 16, 2001