Emergency Stroke Treatment
Improve your chances for the best possible outcome by calling 9-1-1 at the first sign of stroke. Count on Cone Health to quickly identify the type of stroke you’re experiencing and begin treatment right away.
Timely treatment with a clot dissolving medication (thrombolytic), has been shown to significantly improve stroke outcomes. Thrombolytics can be administered in most cases up to 4.5 hours from the start of stroke symptoms. A fast “door to needle” time is important because the quicker patients receive thrombolytics, the more likely they are to have a better outcome.
Advanced Clot-Busting Techniques
Revascularization Device
If a stroke is ischemic – meaning it’s caused by a blood clot or blocked artery – doctors must quickly restore blood flow to the brain. In this case, patients may benefit from:
- Intravenous thrombolysis therapy – Uses a medicine administered through an intravenous (IV) line to dissolve clots; it must be given soon after stroke symptoms begin and can significantly reduce the effects of stroke (available at all Cone Health emergency departments)
- Endovascular therapy – Includes mechanical thrombectomy, a clot retrieval procedure which guides instruments through blood vessels to directly access and restore blood flow (available at Moses Cone Hospital)
Treatments to Control Bleeding
If a stroke is hemorrhagic – meaning it’s caused by a broken or leaking blood vessel in the brain – doctors will work quickly to identify and control the cause of bleeding and ensure the blood pressure is controlled. Treatments for a hemorrhagic stroke may include:
- Emergency measures – Patients on blood-thinning medications may be given reversal medicines. Patients might also be given treatments to lower pressure in the brain and medicines to control blood pressure, seizures or headache.
- Surgery – To remove the blood, relieve brain pressure, and/or to repair blood vessels to prevent additional strokes
- Aneurysm clipping – Placing a small clamp at the base of an aneurysm to stop blood flow to it, which can keep it from bursting or from bleeding again
- Aneurysm Coiling (endovascular embolization) – Inserting a catheter into an artery and moving it to the brain to fill the aneurysm with a thin wire or “coil” which closes the aneurysm from the inside.
Top-Quality Neurological Services
Learn about the full array of neuroscience care—including neurosurgery and interventional neuroradiology—at Cone Health.
Specialized Stroke Rehabilitation
After a stroke, work with Cone Health’s stroke rehabilitation specialists to build your strength, skills and confidence. Join a stroke support group to connect with others facing similar challenges.
Prevent Recurrent Strokes
After a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), count on your Cone Health care team to help you identify and reduce your risk factors for another stroke.
Uncovering Atrial Fibrillation
After you’re treated for stroke, you may be screened for atrial fibrillation (AFib) – a heart rhythm disorder that, untreated, causes an estimated 22 percent of strokes. Because an irregular heartbeat may not appear for weeks, your Cone Health doctors may recommend placing an insertable cardiac monitor – a small device that can monitor your heart for up to four and a half years – giving us a better chance of uncovering your AFib and helping you prevent subsequent strokes.
