TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Union Hospital Clinton has been designated as a ‘Stroke Ready Center” in hopes of providing change in their community.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds with someone dying every four minutes.
A stroke is when a blood vessel in the brain bursts or when blood supply and oxygen to part of the brain is blocked which could lead to long-term disability or death.
The hospital has been working on their stroke ready designation for over a year and with everything now in place, they will use this distinction to help save lives.
“What the program really allows us to do is rapidly deliver TPA, which is a medication that dissolves clots in the brain if you’re having an ischemic stroke,” said RN house supervisor/stroke coordinator for Union health Clinton Will Lohse.
Lohse says smoking, high cholesterol, weight and cardiovascular disease can lead to stroke.
“Stroke is the number two leading cause of mortality here in Vermillion County, Indiana and that also makes us the second worst county in the state in terms of overall death from stroke,” said VP/administrator for Union Health Clinton Stephanie Laws.
Signs of a stroke can include facial drooling, slurred speech, and arm numbness. When dealing with a stroke, Union Hospital Clinton nurses live by the acronym of “FAST”. Face, Arm, Speech, Time to call 911.
