Coshocton Regional Medical Center Places 1st in Stroke Protocol Competition
Coshocton, Ohio (January 2019) – Coshocton Regional Medical Center recently participated and placed first in a statewide competition, in conjunction with the Ohio State University Medical Center, to better understand how the hospital is performing with national stroke protocols. The competition, which included eight other hospitals, measured the time between a patient entering an emergency setting to being treated with Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA).
Tissue Plasminogen Activator, better known as tPA, is a medication used for patients who have ischemic strokes. With an ischemic stroke, a blood clot gets trapped in a blood vessel in the brain, preventing blood from carrying oxygen to the brain tissue. This lack of blood flow is what causes stroke symptoms to occur such as a drooping face, arm weakness, and speech difficulty. Known as a “clot buster” medication, tPA works by dissolving the blood clots that cause the stroke if it is given to the patient shortly after stroke symptoms develop. If given within three hours after symptoms begin, receipt of tPA can significantly improve patient outcomes.
The Ohio State University created the competition as a means of improving door to administration times for tPA. The goal of the competition was to treat clinically eligible patients within 60 minutes of arrival to the emergency department. If tPA is given within 60 minutes, the clot on the brain can be dissolved more quickly, improving blood flow to the brain. This decreases mortality and improves patient functioning and is a national initiative that the American Heart and Stroke Associations are actively trying to improve.
This was a well-rounded competition full of hospitals, large and small. Coshocton Regional Medical Center, the second smallest hospital in the competition, was able to successfully complete this protocol consistently and received first place in the overall competition. Hospitals competing in the challenge included:
- Avita Health System
- Bucyrus (25 beds)
- Galion (22 beds)
- Ontario (26 beds)
- Coshocton Regional Medical Center (56 beds)
- Madison Health (94 beds)
- Blanchard Valley Hospital (150 beds)
- OSU East (190 beds)
- Fairfield Medical Center (222 beds)
- Springfield Medical Center (500 beds)
“Time is of the essence when it comes to stroke care,” says Stephanie Conn, Chief Executive Officer. “This competition helped us to better understand how CRMC compares to other regional hospitals in how we implement stroke protocols. We are very pleased to find we are providing exceptional care for the residents of Coshocton County afflicted with this disease.”
Stroke is the fifth highest cause of death in the United States. On average a stroke occurs every forty seconds and every four minutes someone dies of a stroke. The speed at which a patient receives appropriate care is in direct relation to their successful recovery. “Getting to the emergency room as quickly as possible after the signs of a stroke develop is the most important factor to how well people recover,” stated Lisa Jackson, Chief Nursing Officer. “Waiting to see if your symptoms get better is a big mistake many stroke victims make. The chances of making a full recovery get dramatically lower with each passing minute medical treatment is not received.” Residents are urged to remember the letters “FAST” for identifying stroke symptoms. FAST stands for Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, and Time to call 911.
Through the power of telemedicine, patients with stroke symptoms are evaluated by a neurologist at the OSU Stroke Center when they arrive to CRMC’s emergency department. Between an evaluation by a CRMC Emergency Room provider and the OSU neurologist, these two doctors work collaboratively to determine the best course of treatment for the patient. Patients that can be appropriately managed at Coshocton remain in the facility and those patients that cannot, are transported to OSU either by ambulance or helicopter, depending on the urgency.
For more information on stroke warning signs and symptoms, please see the American Stroke Association’s website at www.strokeassociation.org.
###
About Coshocton Regional Medical Center: Coshocton Regional Medical Center is a 56-bed not-for-profit hospital in Coshocton, Ohio, providing 24-hour emergency and acute care services with a network of hospital-based physician clinics serving Coshocton and surrounding counties. Coshocton Regional Medical Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for accreditation by demonstrating compliance with national standards for health care quality and safety in hospitals, and holds as its mission the delivery of compassionate, quality care to patients and better healthcare to communities. Coshocton Regional Medical Center is a member of Prime Healthcare Foundation and serves the Eastern Central Ohio Region with high quality diagnostic, rehabilitation and acute healthcare services. For more information, please visit www.coshoctonhospital.org.
