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The Ottawa Hospital is a provincial leader in stroke care

 
The Ottawa Hospital is a provincial leader in stroke care

Dr. Dar Dowlatshahi (right), a TOH stroke neurologist, leads one of the fastest stroke care teams in Canada. They set a Canadian record for a door-to-needle time of 12 minutes for a stroke patient to receive a clot-buster drug.

 

Patients treated for stroke at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) have some of the lowest mortality rates and best survival outcomes in Ontario, according to a new provincial report.

Data from the 2012-13 Ontario Stroke Report Card show that when strokes occur, patients benefit from fast and effective treatment. Nearly half of all patients (48 percent) who arrive at TOH Emergency Departments with a suspected stroke get a life-saving clot-buster drug within 52 minutes, which is one of the fastest “door-to-needle” times in the province. Indeed, TOH, which is the acute stroke-care hub for the Champlain health region, has the fourth fastest treatment time among the province’s 11 regional stroke centres.

“Every minute counts when people are suffering from the early symptoms of stroke,” said Dr. Grant Stotts, a TOH stroke neurologist and medical director of the Champlain Regional Stroke Network. “Each minute could make the difference between life and death.”

The region is also a top performer in providing patients with a rapid diagnosis. Nine out of 10 suspected stroke patients get a brain CT or MRI scan within 24 hours of arriving at an emergency department. Champlain also has the province’s second-lowest stroke hospitalization rate and 30-day readmission rate, which indicate that survivors get effective, high-quality acute-stroke treatment.

As a result, fewer people are dying from acute stroke. The region’s 30-day, in-hospital mortality rate has dropped over the past decade to one of the lowest in the country. From 15.4 percent in 2003-04, the risk-adjusted mortality rate now stands at 13.5 percent, which is equivalent to 25 deaths avoided every year.

“I’m proud that our region has made significant improvements in caring for patients who suffer from stroke,” said Dr. Stotts. “We now treat them more rapidly and we’re saving more lives.”

Anyone suffering from any of the following early warning signs of stroke should call an ambulance immediately:

  • Sudden weakness
  • Sudden trouble speaking
  • Sudden vision problems
  • Sudden severe and unusual headaches
  • Sudden loss of balance or dizziness
 
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  • WiiU says:

    Let’s make it better and become number 1

  • I'm really happy to have received your services - A stroke a year ago says:

    I want to thank everyone who attended me while I rushed to The Ottawa Hospital Emergency, a year ago on a Friday, 27 of February 2015. around 9:00am

    Now, I’m as happy as I can be. I’d like to recognize the services you provided me as the best ever!!

    I have created a story in my facebook page, in case you want to read it: https://www.facebook.com/elimuris/posts/10153319435255841

    Thank you so much!!

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