Stroke Center Accessibility

[RonBoyd]

I suppose because of my Atrial Fibrillation I'm more sensitive to this issue but Half of Americans Live More Than an Hour Away from Lifesaving Stroke Center.

Quote:

Nearly 2 million neurons die each minute a stroke is left untreated, making it a race to recognize symptoms so that lifesaving "clot-busting" drugs can be administered. Forty-five percent of Americans - 135 million people - are more than an hour away from primary stroke centers, the facilities that are best equipped to care for them if they are stricken by the condition

or skip the article and go straight to the Stroke Center Locator.

Quote:

his directory is provided as a convenient resource to catalogue U.S. medical centers that offer treatment for acute ischemic stroke.

[rescueme]

Lucky to have one 4.7 miles away (about a 10 minute drive).

However, my concern is who will drive me (or recognize I'm having an attack or even call for an ambulance)?

[yakers]

I didn't realize that there is a 6.4% chance that the tPA drug will kill you by itself and a 50% chance of it helping. Hope a better drug or procedure is developed. Maybe I don't want to move to remote locations, only 5 minutes from a medical center.

[Bestwifeever]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonBoyd ...or skip the article and go straight to the Stroke Center Locator.

Our local hospital (<1 mile from my house--I can drag myself there!) recently (almost a year ago)was accredited as a primary stroke center and is not on that list, so you may be closer to one than you think.

Here's a 2/15/2010 big fat list of all the organizations the Joint Commission has certified in many specialties:

http://www.jointcommission.org/NR/rd...MasterList.pdf