There's a Neurologist 'In the House'

David M. Soria, MD, Chief of Emergency Medicine, and Nadine Smith, RN, Stroke Program Coordinator, evaluate a patient with the guidance of a Specialists On Call, Inc., neurologist.

Stroke is the third-leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability in the United States with more than 700,000 Americans experiencing a stroke annually.

Receiving prompt treatment when symptoms of a stroke are present can mean the difference between recovery and permanent brain damage, or even death.

If you think you may be experiencing a stroke, call 911 immediately. Getting to a hospital quickly is your best chance of preserving quality of life. New clot-busting drugs can promote dramatic results if administered within the first three hours of the onset of stroke symptoms.

Wellington Regional Medical Center has now joined forces with Specialists On Call, Inc., (formerly known as Brain Saving Technologies) to provide advanced teleneurology services to help diagnose stroke or other neurological conditions. Specialists On Call, Inc., connects emergency department staff with board-certified neurologists through an innovative audio and visual communications system.

Responding to a national healthcare crisis -- the need for rapid, effective treatment of stroke patients and the shortage of critical care stroke neurologists -- Specialists On Call, Inc., is the first teleneurology service accredited by The Joint Commission.

"Time is so critical with brain injury," says David M. Soria, MD, Chief of Emergency Medicine at Wellington Regional Medical Center. "Fast access to neurology expertise will offer more patients the option of receiving t-PA, the only medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of stroke, reducing the risk for long-term disability."

When an ER physician suspects that a patient is having a stroke, a CT scan will be ordered. The telecommunications system will be brought to the patient's bedside, where the ER staff will have access to the expertise of a neurologist via video-conferencing technology 24/7.

The neurologist will facilitate an examination of the patient by the ER staff, view the CT scan and have an opportunity to interact with the patient and family members. The neurologist, along with the ER physician, can then make an assessment to determine whether the patient is a candidate for thrombolytic therapy with t-PA medication, which can help halt and even reverse the damage caused by the stroke if administered within three hours of the onset of symptoms. This drug helps dissolve blood clots that cause ischemic strokes -- the most common type of stroke.

"This technology provides a unique solution to the nationwide shortage of neurologists," Dr. Soria says. "It enables us to bring an experienced neurologist to a patient's bedside any time of the day or night so that we can intervene quickly, if necessary."

Signs of Stroke
If you think you or someone else may be experiencing a stroke, it is important to seek care immediately. Call 911 if you develop or observe any of these sudden stroke symptoms:

• Numbness or weakness of the face, arms or legs (especially on one side of the body)
• Confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech
• Difficulty seeing in one or both eyes
• Trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance
• Severe headache with no known cause

To learn more about strokes, please visit www.wellingtonregional.com.

David M. Soria, MD, FACEP, is Chief of Emergency Medicine at Wellington Regional Medical Center. He is employed by Emergency Specialists of Wellington. Dr. Soria earned his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine in 1993 and completed his residency in emergency medicine at Case Western Reserve/Cleveland Clinic Foundation in 1996. Dr. Soria is a diplomate of the American Board of Emergency Medicine and a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Wellington Regional Medical Center, 10101 Forest Hill Blvd. Wellington, FL 33414 (561) 798-8500