Starting Oct. 18, Saint Louise Regional Hospital will officially
be the Primary Stroke Center for South County residents.
Starting Oct. 18, Saint Louise Regional Hospital will officially be the Primary Stroke Center for South County residents.
Saint Louise began treating walk-in patients with acute stroke on Sept. 1 and was designated Tuesday as the county’s ninth Primary Stroke Center by the Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services Agency.
Primary Stroke Centers specialize in the treatment of acute stroke patients and are the first point of contact once paramedics determine a person is suffering an acute stroke. Upon notification from paramedics, the stroke center assembles its team and further assesses the patient for stroke. If the patient meets certain medical criteria, a clot-busting drug is rapidly administered.
All Primary Stroke Centers share data and best practices to maintain and improve the care of stroke patients, according to the Santa Clara County Public Health Department. The county also conducts outreach programs to educate the public about stroke care and symptoms.
Last year, about 3,000 acute stroke patients were treated in the county’s eight Primary Stroke Centers. Saint Louise joins El Camino Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital, O’Connor Hospital, Kaiser San Jose, Kaiser Santa Clara, Regional Medical Center of San Jose, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and Stanford University Hospital in providing this specialized care.
Typical symptoms of a stroke include:
– sudden one-sided weakness, numbness or paralysis
– sudden trouble seeing
– sudden problems speaking or understanding
– sudden dizziness or loss of balance
– sudden severe headache with no apparent cause
– Anyone experiencing these symptoms should immediately call 911.
