UNMH Stroke Center title = 24/7 care here

Living in an urban area like Albuquerque can have its pros and cons. The recent designation of UNMH as the state’s first Comprehensive Stroke Center is definitely one for the pro column. The highest designation by a commission that partners with the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association means UNMH has the 24/7 capability to perform surgical procedures to repair aneurysms in the brain or remove blood clots.

That’s critical because stroke victims have a narrow window to get medical attention before suffering permanent injury or death. When a stroke is caused by a blockage, the window for successful treatment is just three to four-and-a-half hours. When a stroke is caused by a brain bleed, the window is six to 24 hours.

“Once a patient gets transferred in, it’s the expectation that we will get that patient from the door onto the table and have access to their blood vessels within one hour, which is a big challenge when we have to do all their assessments, their scans and move them across our whole hospital,” UNMH neurosurgeon Dr. Andrew Carlson told the Journal.

Carlson says those in the Albuquerque area who have symptoms of a severe stroke should go straight to the Comprehensive Stroke Center and avoid the time it would take to get transferred from another facility. It’s reassuring to learn UNMH has been coordinating with hospitals and paramedics to recognize when a stroke patient is in need of more complicated medical attention.

Getting proper medical intervention, and getting it quickly, are keys to treating stroke patients. The designation of UNMH as the state’s first Comprehensive Stroke Center and the commitment of staff to get people in surgery within an hour can save lives, limit and/or prevent permanent impairment and give everyone a little peace of mind around-the-clock stroke treatment is nearby.