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Learn how to identify the signs of a stroke and what you can do to reduce your risk of having a stroke. Join Desert Regional Medical Center Nurse Practitioner Celia Gomes McGillivray, ACNPC, for an informative seminar on life-saving tips. McGillivray is a stroke coordinator with the hospital’s stroke program, which has recently earned an even higher designation and is now recognized as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by the Joint Commission.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 800,000 people experience a stroke in America each year and on average, one person dies every 4 minutes from a stroke.

What is a Stroke?

A stroke is a brain attack. It needs to be taken as seriously as if someone is having a heart attack. The most common type of a stroke is an ischemic stroke, where there is either a clot in the blood vessel or a build up of plaque in the blood vessel. Another type of stroke is a hemorrhagic stroke, which involves bleeding into the brain.

Some alarming statistics:

• For every minute that a stroke is left untreated, the brain loses 1.9 million neurons
• In one hour the brain can lose up to 447 miles of myelinated fibers
• The brain ages 3.6 years each hour a stroke is left untreated.

Fortunately, it is possible to reverse some of the damage through prompt treatment.

Remember the word FAST 

There’s one very important word to remember when it comes to stroke:  FAST. You need to call for help fast and get treatment fast. FAST is also the acronym that the American Heart Association developed to help people remember the signs and symptoms of a stroke:

Face – Does one side of the person’s face droop when you ask them to smile?

Arms – Does one arm drift downward when you ask them to raise both arms? 

Speech – Does the person slur speech when asked to repeat a simple phrase?

Time – Call 911 IMMEDIATELY if you see any of these signs.

Advanced Stroke and Neurological Services 

The standard care for stroke patients is IV-tPA – a medication that dissolves a stroke-causing blood clot – if a patient arrives soon enough after a stroke began. Interventional surgery takes that one step further, physically removing the clot using instruments within a tiny catheter. Desert Regional provides a full range of stroke treatments, including arterial tPA, clot removal procedures, aneurysm coiling, carotid artery and intracranial stenting among others. The hospital also has a 7-bed neurological intensive care unit (NICU) dedicated for stroke and acute neurological patients.

Click here to register for this seminar or call (800) 491-4990.

You’re Invited
How to Spot a Stroke
Speaker: Celia Gomes McGillivray, ACNPC
Tuesday, January 10, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
La Quinta Library
78275 Calle Tampico, La Quinta
RSVP: (800) 491-4990