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Stroke

Stroke symptoms require immediate care

Stroke is a medical emergency that occurs when a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked (ischemic stroke) or breaks (hemorrhagic stroke). During a stroke, nearly two million brain cells die every minute, which makes getting the right care fast critical to limiting long-term disability or even saving life.

Baylor Scott & White Health offers advanced stroke care quickly through our emergency departments and stroke centers across North and Central Texas.

In many cases, a medication to eliminate blockages and restore blood flow (thrombolytic therapy) can be given, but it must be administered shortly after stroke symptoms begin. Other treatment and recovery options may include: 

  • Medication
  • Procedures
    • Carotid endarterectomy​
    • Carotid stenting​
    • Craniotomy​
    • Patent foramen ovale closure
    • Surgery to repair aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations
    • Thrombectomy
  • Physical, occupational and speech therapy

 

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Risk factors

Chances of having a stroke can increase based on certain factors.

  • Uncontrollable Risk Factors for Stroke
  • Controllable Risk Factors for Stroke

Uncontrollable Risk Factors for Stroke

  • Females have more strokes than males
  • Stroke can occur at any age, but the risk doubles every decade from age 65
  • Family history
  • African Americans have a higher risk of stroke than Caucasians
  • A previous stroke

Controllable Risk Factors for Stroke

  • Manage chronic conditions, including high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, sickle cell disease, and diabetes
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Nutrition/Diet
  • Obesity
  • Smoking

B.E.F.A.S.T. if you suspect a stroke

Knowing the signs of a stroke is one of the keys to successful recovery. Dr. Rashedul Hasan, MD, a vascular neurologist associated with Baylor Scott & White Health, discusses what to do when someone is having a stroke, common misconceptions about stroke, and the latest breakthroughs in treatment.

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What's your stroke risk?

Learn how to lower your risk of stroke with healthier habits

Take the quiz

Telestroke care

Many smaller Baylor Scott & White community hospital emergency departments have immediate access to neurologists specializing in stroke care 24/7 through telemedicine. This technology allows a stroke specialist at one of our major stroke care facilities to examine a suspected stroke patient via video call and guide their treatment.

With telestroke technology, medical staff in the emergency department can:

  • Consult with a board-certified vascular neurologist (within 5 minutes of neurologist being paged)
  • Administer Alteplase, a clot-busting medication, under the guidance of a board-certified vascular neurologist via video
  • Initiate patient transfer to a Baylor Scott & White comprehensive stroke center if a higher level of care is needed
  • Screen patients who have experienced stroke symptoms within the last 24 hours for all types of acute strokes

Stroke treatment options

There is no cure for stroke once it has occurred, but advanced medical and surgical stroke treatments are available. These can help reduce your risk for another stroke. Treatment for stroke is most effective when started right away, so it's important to know the signs of stroke​ and call 911 immediately if you suspect a stroke.

Treatment plans for patients will be determined by their care team based on age, medical history, type of stroke and personal preferences.

Tratement options for stroke may include:​

  • Surgery​
    • Carotid endarterectomy​
    • Carotid stenting​
    • Craniotomy​
    • Patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure
    • Surgery to repair aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs).

Expert advice from our blog

Scrubbing In® is a place where hands-on healthcare discussions are happening every day with the people whose own hands are on the front lines of patient care—the doctors, nurses and medical staff who are saving lives and advancing medicine.

In the news

 

Dallas officer makes quick recovery after stroke

A Dallas police officer was back on the job less than a week after suffering a stroke—the fastest recovery Baylor University Medical Center, part of Baylor Scott & White Health—has ever seen.

Watch the story

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