TeleStroke 24-hour Care
Someone has a stroke every 40 seconds in the United States and is the leading cause of serious long-term disability in American adults. Early diagnosis and immediate treatment are essential to positive outcomes.
Excelsior Springs Hospital (ESH) now offers TeleStroke, a 24-hour, on-call access to award-winning, leading stroke and neuroscience experts through Centerpoint Medical Center, a certified Primary Stroke Center, as designated by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. By using the TeleStroke system, physicians can communicate via a two-way live video, audio, and image sharing system. A neurologist can evaluate a patient in real-time to diagnose a stroke and work with our team to determine the best treatment options.
Signs of a Stroke
During a stroke, blood stops flowing to part of the brain causing damage in areas of the brain controlling the rest of the body.
Know the Symptoms of a Stroke
- Weakness. You may feel a sudden weakness, tingling, or a loss of feeling on one side of your face or body.
- Vision problems. You may have sudden double vision or trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
- Speech problems. You may have sudden trouble talking, slurred speech, or problems understanding others.
- Headache. You may have a sudden, severe headache.
- Movement problems. You may have sudden trouble walking, dizziness, a feeling of spinning, a loss of balance, a feeling of falling, or blackouts.
BE FAST
BE FAST is an easy way to remember the signs of stroke.
BE FAST stands for:
- B is for balance. Sudden onset of loss of balance, coordination, or dizziness.
- E is for eyes. Sudden onset of vision loss, blurred vision, or double vision.
- F is for face drooping. One side of the face is drooping or numb. When the person smiles, the smile is uneven.
- A is for arm weakness. One arm is weak or numb. When the person lifts both arms at the same time, one arm may drift downward.
- S is for speech difficulty. You may notice slurred speech or difficulty speaking. The person cannot repeat a simple sentence correctly when asked.
- T is for time to dial 911. If someone shows any of these symptoms, event if they go away, call 911 right away. Make note of the time symptoms first appeared.
