Barrow Mobile Stroke Unit Archives

Featured Video: Stroke Treatment Faster Thanks to Mobile Stroke Unit

CBS News has posted a video featured the Barrow Mobile Stroke Unit manufactured by Excellance, Inc.

The risk of having a stroke increases as we age and when one does happen, time is of the essence.
“There have been studies to suggest as many as 2 million neurons die per minute in the setting of an acute stroke,” explained Dr. Michael Waters, director of the stroke program at Barrow Neurological Institute. “So it is a time critical disease and faster is always better.”

That’s why Barrow Neurological Institute launched this mobile stroke unit last summer. It’s designed specifically to treat stroke patients and can make a big difference when seconds matter.

“We’re significantly shortening the amount of time between symptom onset, calling 911, and treating that stroke by taking the emergency room to the patient,” he said. “Sometimes we talk about ‘the golden hour of stroke care’ and that is if someone can present to the hospital within an hour of the stroke onset, the outcomes are invariably better.”

Source: CBS

Field Trips at #AHCJ18 Included Brain Surgery, Mobile Stroke Unit, Telemedicine

The attendees of Health Journalism 2018 got the chance to tour the Barrow Mobile Stroke Unit manufactured by Excellance, Inc.

Attendees of Health Journalism 2018 will likely have a difficult choice to make between this year’s two optional daylong field trips to Barrow Neurological Institute, Mayo Clinic, Banner University Phoenix, University of Arizona College of Medicine, and the Circle the City medical respite center for the homeless.

One field trip will first stop at the Barrow Neurological Institute, where they will visit the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center, featuring a chance to try out the center’s unique balance machine.

The group will move on to watch a live brain surgery, with the chance to communicate directly with the surgeon in the operating room, and then tour a mobile stroke unit that delivers specialized care before a patient even reaches the hospital.

Source: Health Journalism

Featured Press: Barrow Neurological Institute unveils ‘BEST U’

AZCentral.com has posted several pictures inside the Barrow Emergency Stroke Treatment Unit manufactured by Excellance, Inc. that houses state of the art technology including a Mobile CT Scan.

To view the slideshow, please visit the official AZCentral website.

Featured Press: Stroke Treatment Faster Thanks to Mobile Stroke Unit

AZFamily has posted a new article on the Barrow Mobile Stroke Unit manufactured by Excellance, Inc. Read on.

The risk of having a stroke increases as we age and when one does happen, time is of the essence.

May is “Stroke Awareness Month” and it’s a good time to remind ourselves of the signs of stroke and the importance of getting help as quickly as possible if someone near you is having one.

[SPECIAL SECTION: CBS 5 This Morning]

“There have been studies to suggest as many as 2 million neurons die per minute in the setting of an acute stroke,” explained Dr. Michael Waters, director of the stroke program at Barrow Neurological Institute. “So it is a time critical disease and faster is always better.”

[RELATED: Phoenix woman alive today thanks to new Barrow Mobile Stroke Unit]

That’s why Barrow Neurological Institute launched this mobile stroke unit last summer. It’s designed specifically to treat stroke patients and can make a big difference when seconds matter.

[SPECIAL SECTION: Stroke Awareness]

“We’re significantly shortening the amount of time between symptom onset, calling 911, and treating that stroke by taking the emergency room to the patient,” he said. “Sometimes we talk about ‘the golden hour of stroke care’ and that is if someone can present to the hospital within an hour of the stroke onset, the outcomes are invariably better.”

[RELATED: Emergency stroke unit comes to Phoenix]

Strokes are the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. and more than 800,000 people suffer from strokes annually.

So what signs do you need to look out for? Remember the word FAST.

It stands for face, arm, speech and time.

Face: Showing weakness or asymmetry

Arm: Showing weakness

Speech: Slurred or trouble coming up with words

Time: It is a time-critical event

[READ MORE: Stroke survivor inspiring others to get back on their bike again]

Dr. Waters says the best ways to decrease your chances of having a stroke are:

Following a healthy die

Treat hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol or other chronic conditions

Exercise at least three times per week

Don’t smoke or quit if you are a smoker

Drink only in moderation

Source: AZFamily.com

Featured Press: From Miles Away, A Doctor Can See A Stroke Victim – And Save A Life

The Barrow Mobile Stroke Unit manufactured by Excellance has been featured on the Arizona News channel CN. Read on.

Stroke victims who have only minutes to get treatment before their brains suffer permanent damage are getting help faster through the eyes of cameras on a mobile stroke van, doctors at Barrow Neurological Institute said.

“The fact is, we know time is brain,” said Gabriel Gabriel, a registered nurse who oversees the unit.

Guidelines say patients who receive treatment within 60 minutes of a stroke have the best chance of recovery, and on-the-scene treatment in the mobile stroke unit leads to shorter hospital stays of one or two days, Gabriel said.

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death in the U.S., killing nearly 133,000 people a year, according to the American Stroke Association. The association says immediate treatment minimizes the long-term effects of a stroke and can even prevent death.

The Barrow van operates within a 20-minute radius of the hospital, at Third Avenue and Thomas Road in central Phoenix. Fire Department paramedics who attend to potential stroke victims call the van, which carries medical workers, supplies and equipment – and two cameras that can zoom in so closely they see a patient’s pupils. Doctors at the hospital can see the patient, assess the person’s condition and authorize treatment.

Dr. Michael Waters, director of the stroke program at Barrow Neurological Institute, can monitor and even talk to patients from the hospital while they’re being treated in the van. (Photo by Daria Kadovik/Cronkite News)

Barrow medical representatives, who spoke to members of the Association of Health Care Journalists touring the van, said it provides faster stroke diagnosis and treatment. The institute also presented other technology, including a 3-D printing of spines doctors use to practice surgical techniques.

The stroke unit, which costs about $1 million, also is equipped with a portable head CT scanner and a small laboratory so a physician at the hospital can assess the situation and evaluate the patient, said Dr. Michael Waters, director of the stroke program.

The stroke team on the van includes nurses and CT specialists who treat a patient under the guidance of the doctor monitoring the scene from Barrow. Then, a patient is transported to the hospital in an ambulance – with lights flashing and sirens blaring, it can reach the hospital faster than the van.

Gabriel said there are only about 11 similar units in the world.

Source: Cronkite News

Tag: Barrow Mobile Stroke Unit