Kauvery Hospital Emphasizes on Right Diagnosis and Right Treatment Ahead of World Stroke Day

• 91-year-old man and 80-year-old woman treated for Stroke in record time from onset

• Every 6^th person is likely to have a stroke, out of which only 10% of patient arrive to stroke ready hospital within golden hour (within 4.5 hour from onset of stroke)

Kauvery Hospital Chennai, a unit of Kauvery Hospitals, one of the leading healthcare chains in Tamil Nadu successfully treated a 91-year-old man and an 80-year-old woman for Stroke recently. The former presented with weakness on right side of his body and was unable to speak or move his limbs freely.

“The elderly patient came to us with a slight paralysis on right side of his face and we proceeded for a CT brain to rule out any bleeding. We then administered him with IV Thrombolysis, (a therapy given to remove any clots in the blood vessels and improve blood flow within 30 minutes of presentation. He was then transferred to ICU and with constant monitoring, medication, physiotherapy and speech therapy he improved in a couple of days. He is currently stable and walking. This highlights the fact that age is not a hurdle to provide modern medication for stroke. With advanced treatment and technology, a stroke can be reversed, but only with right diagnosis, right treatment at the right time,” explains Dr. Sivarajan Thandeswaran, Senior Consultant Stroke and Neurovascular Medicine.

A stroke can turn fatal if not diagnosed and treated at the right time. It is important to be aware of the symptoms and signs, as it aids people to help someone undergoing similar situations. However not every patient comes with same set of symptoms, it is the right diagnosis and understanding of a patient’s medical history that helps in providing the right treatment at the right time.

The second patient an 80-year-old woman developed a sudden weakness on left side of her body and loss of consciousness. She was evaluated by her family doctor, and hence was transferred to the emergency room of the hospital under 35 minutes. “The patient underwent a CT scan within 10 minutes of her admission to the ER, and a long clot was detected. Upon analysis we predicted that an IV Thrombolysis may not be successful, and hence was immediately mobilized to cathlab where the clot was removed with a stent retriever technology (a procedure used to remove clot from arteries). She was discharged in a week and is now stable,” adds Dr. Sivarajan.

Every year World Stroke Day is observed on 29^th October, and the aim has been to create awareness on stroke, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.“A stroke generally occurs due to high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes and poor lifestyle patterns such as smoking or consumption of alcohol. However, age is a major risk factor as it most commonly affects people above 60 years. The symptoms include weakness of facial muscles, legs or hands, difficulty to move, inability to speak. The first 4.5 hours is the golden period to reverse a stroke attack,” he adds.

Speaking about the two successful cases, Dr. Aravindan Selvaraj Co-founder and Executive Director, Kauvery Hospital Chennai says, “During the time of stroke, the immediate step should be to rush the individual to the nearest hospital and begin the treatment in the ‘golden period’. Also, there’s a misconception that senior citizens, especially those above 80 years have lesser chances of surviving a stroke attack, but it is to be noted that right diagnosis is required to provide the right treatment as anything which may go unnoticed can lead to further complications or turn fatal. Our centre has the most advanced treatment technologies and the right expertise to diagnose and treat patients across all age groups and the dedicated geriatric care provides a holistic approach in treating the elderly. I congratulate Dr Sivarajan Thandeswaran and team for successfully treating stroke in a time critical fashion with shortest door to needle/treatment time and also stressing on the importance of timely diagnosis and modern treatments.”