Posted on Wednesday July 09, 2014
Lakeridge Health is Ontario’s leader in administering a powerful clot-busting drug that can help people recover from a stroke.
The Ontario Stroke Report Card ranks Lakeridge Health as number one in providing tPA (acute thrombolytic therapy) to eligible stroke patients. Administering tPA can dissolve a blood clot and restore normal blood flow to the brain, but the drug must be given within 4.5 hours of the onset of stroke symptoms.
"There are a lot of steps required before we can administer tPA, and we only have a short window of time to work with," says Deb Galet, Director of Post-Acute Specialty Services, Lakeridge Health. "When someone presents in our ER with stroke symptoms, we take action right away."
Lakeridge Health has 24/7 coverage by doctors specializing in stroke care. The hospital also has a ‘code stroke’ emergency alert that triggers an expedited CT scan and blood work for people experiencing a stroke. These tests are required to make sure tPA can be safely administered.
"The message I want folks across Durham Region to know is that when they come to our integrated stroke unit, they are getting the best care available," says Galet. "We are a centre of excellence. Our team members specialize in stroke care and they work with stroke patients every day."
The Ontario Stroke Report Card is based on data from April 2012 to March 2013. Lakeridge Health also scored well in metrics related to public awareness and education, acute stroke management, stroke rehabilitation and reintegration.
"Our results are good, but there is always room to do better," says Galet. "We’ll be studying the data and putting plans into place to further improve our care."
Fast Facts:
- In 2012/2013, Lakeridge Health’s Integrated Stroke Unit treated 225 people with acute onset of stroke. In 2013/2014, the unit treated 286 people.
- Lakeridge Health scored 63% in administering tPA to eligible stroke patients. That’s higher than both the provincial benchmark (61%) and the Central East LHIN average (37.1%).
