Technology means better treatment for stroke victims in Burke County

ER Supervisor Julie Herrmann demonstrates the REACH system at Burke Medical Center. Thanks to a recently-formed partnership between Burke Medical Center and MCGHealth, stroke patients in Burke County have access to a new level of treatment.

The agreement makes it possible for MCGHealth specialists to be involved in the treatment of stroke victims brought to Burke Medical Center's emergency room with the help of REACH (Remote Evaluation of Acute IsCHemic Stroke).

The technology allows MCGHealth physicians to see patients using a webcam, review the CT scan online, evaluate physical signs and symptoms, receive medical history information and send instructions back to the hospital.

When 47-year-old Thomas Daniel of Lavonia suffered a severe stroke six months ago, REACH enabled him to receive treatment that he says saved him from debilitating effects.

When his wife called 911, paramedics rushed Mr. Daniel to the nearby Ty Cobb Medical Center, a small, rural hospital in Royston and another partner of MCGHealth. A CT scan was ordered right away and a computer equipped with a webcam was then wheeled into the room. About 100 miles away in Augusta, Dr. David Hess, MCGHealth Chief of Neurology, received images of Mr. Daniel via a telemedicine monitor. He immediately diagnosed Mr. Daniel as having a severe stroke and recommended tPA (Tissue plasminogen activator), a clot-busting drug that can mitigate the debilitating effects of a stroke if given within three hours.

"I was amazed they just wheeled this cart in here with a screen and a web cam and he was able to treat me from Augusta on a laptop," Mr. Daniel said.

Mr. Daniel has no lingering effects from his stroke today and was actually back at work in his drywall business two days later.

According to Julie Herrmann, Burke Medical Center ER supervisor, REACH makes it possible for patients to be diagnosed right away and for tPA to be administered, which could not be done before in the absence of a specialist's consultation. It also allows patients more access to services at MCGHealth. Previously, patients had to wait for available space before being transported to Augusta.

Herrmann said the program is an important addition to the local ER, which sees stroke victims on a regular basis. Burke County, along with other areas in the "Stroke Belt" across the southeast, records high numbers of stroke, the third leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer.

According to Mr. Daniel, the availability of such technology in a rural hospital meant the difference for him between a successful recovery and a potentially deadly incident.

"I never thought that a little rural hospital would have this type of technology," he said. "I tell you, it's just a miracle of modern medicine."

SIGNS OF STROKE

Timely treatment is one of the most important factors in helping stroke victims. The five warning signs of stroke include: • Weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side.

• Vision disturbance in one or both eyes. • Confusion or difficulty speaking; slurred speech. • Dizziness or loss of coordination or balance. • Severe headache with no known cause.

Source: Dr. David Hess, MCGHealth Chief of Neurology