NO ONE IS IMMUNE
to the risk of a stroke—this brain
attack can affect a person of any age, sex or race, and
it can happen without warning.
However, about 15 percent of strokes are preceded
by a transient ischemic attack (TIA). This warning
stroke—or mini-stroke—is a foreshadowing that a
larger, more serious stroke may soon be on the way.
Ashtabula County Medical Center (ACMC)
neurologist Preetha Muthusamy, MD, said time is of
the essence with any suspected brain injury. “If you
know the signs of TIA and act quickly, you may be
able to reduce your risk for a major stroke and help
protect your brain,” she said.
Dr. Muthusamy said a TIA is similar to
a stroke in that both are usually the result
of a clot in an artery that obstructs blood
flow to the brain. They also have the same
symptoms. Unlike a stroke, however, a
TIA doesn’t cause
permanent injury
to the brain.
Symptoms can
appear within
seconds of a TIA.
They may go away
in a few minutes or
last for up to 24 hours.
See the chart at
right for symptoms.
ACMC retains
Primary Stroke
Center title
After undergoing an on-site evaluation
and demonstrating compliance with
nationally developed standards for stroke
care, Ashtabula County Medical Center
(ACMC) has retained its certification as a
Primary Stroke Center. The certification
was granted by The Joint Commission and
will continue through 2015.
“In stroke care, time is brain,”
said Jean E. Range, MS, RN, CPHQ,
executive director, Disease-Specific Care
Certification, The Joint Commission. “By
retaining its certification as a Primary
Stroke Center, ACMC has proven that it
has the ability to provide effective, timely
care to stroke victims and can significantly
improve outcomes for stroke patients.”
Each year about 795,000 people
experience a new or recurrent stroke,
which is the nation’s third leading cause
of death. On average, someone has a
stroke every 40 seconds and someone
dies of a stroke every 3.1 minutes. Stroke
is a leading cause of serious, long-term
disability in the United States, with about
4.7 million stroke survivors alive today.
The Primary Stroke Center certification
makes ACMC the only hospital in
Ashtabula County to be certified for
Stroke, Heart Failure and Chest Pain care.
“We are pleased to have The Joint
Commission recognize our commitment
to providing the best possible care to our
patients and our community,” said ACMC
President and CEO Michael Habowski.
“Our caregivers have been diligent in
Know the warning signs of a
Symptoms of both a TIA
and stroke can include:
A severe headache
with no known cause.
Confusion.
Trouble seeing
in one or both eyes.
Trouble
speaking or
understanding speech.
Numbness or
weakness in the
face, arm or leg—
especially on one side.
Trouble walking
or maintaining
balance and coordination.
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ACMC Pulse •
