Typically, the best results occur when treatment begins in less than three hours from the stroke’s onset. That’s why it’s crucial to seek help immediately if you have a stroke. Our physicians and nurses, along with EMS and air transport crews, receive special ARSCN training to maximize the first essential moments of treatment.
Diagnosing the kind of stroke and its location is our first critical challenge. Through telemedicine capabilities at Bristol Regional Medical Center, we receive EEG (brain wave) strips by phone, so we can begin to diagnose and consider treatment options while you’re still in transport. Our experienced physicians rely on the most innovative diagnostic technology available:
- Carotid Ultrasound
- TEE (transesophageal echogram)
- CT and CTA Scans
- MRI and MRA Imaging
- Angiography
Once you’re on site, we begin treatment immediately, employing the latest imaging technology, stroke treatment protocols and medicines like TPA clotbusters to restore vital blood flow.
Penumbra System for ischemic stroke
Bristol Regional Medical Center is the first hospital in the Tri-Cities region of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia to offer the Penumbra System®, a clot retrieval device for patients who suffer from an acute stroke. Interventional radiologists can use the Penumbra System to gently remove clots from the large vessels of the brain in an effort to restore blood flow and reduce the damage caused by the lack of oxygen during an ischemic stroke. The system can be used up to eight hours after stroke symptoms first appear, depending on the size and severity of the stroke and the accessibility of the clot.
If you have questions, please call the Wellmont Nurse Connection at 1-877-230-NURSE.
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