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Many people fail to recognize the warning signs and symptoms of stroke and do not seek medical care as soon as they should. With appropriate and timely risk modification and acute stroke intervention, many deaths and long-term disabilities could be prevented. UVa's Comprehensive Stroke Center offers both stroke prevention strategies and a state-of-the-art treatment program. The stroke team is led by specialty-trained stroke neurologists who are on call 24/7 to assess and treat acute stroke. The program is also an active clinical trials site, with UVa currently serving as a national coordinator of multi-center clinical trials for the next generation of thrombolytic (clot-dissolving) drugs. At UVa, stroke management plans are individualized to each patient and depend upon accurate and precise diagnoses. For ischemic (non-bleeding) strokes, medical intervention should occur as soon as possible after the onset of symptoms. Acute ischemic stroke treatment interventions available at UVa include both intravenous and intra-arterial t-PA -- a clot-dissolving medication -- which can often reverse the stroke process. Patients who think they are having a stroke should arrive at UVa as quickly as possible, since there is a very brief window of opportunity to offer these therapies (e.g., three hours for intravenous t-PA). Patients undergo recovery in the Nerancy Neuro Intensive Care Unit and in the Stroke Unit, which are staffed and designated specifically for the care of patients in need of intensive care following a stroke. |
