Pikeville Medical Center’s Primary Stroke Center is among the top stroke treatment centers in KY. Our goal is to deliver the most effective care with cutting edge technology. Our Stroke Center aligns with the mission of PMC: to advance the health and well-being of our region through comprehensive care in a Christian environment

Dr. Naveed Ahmed, a Board-Certified Neurologist and Stroke Specialist, is Medical Director of PMC’s Primary Stroke Center. The hospital’s neurology staff also includes Neurologist Dr. Ryan Owens, and Neurosurgeons Dr. Norman Mayer and Dr. George M. Ghobrial. In addition, Physiatrists (physical medicine specialists) Dr. Milton Calima and Dr. Sankar Chirumamilla help stroke patients recover through physical rehabilitation.

To provide patients with quality care, PMC works with Emergency Medical Service providers from across the region to ensure acute stroke care starts from the moment of patient contact.

PMC’s Emergency Department is highly trained for immediate identification of early stroke symptoms and equipped to provide intervention. The hospital has assembled a Stroke Team which has been trained to respond to stroke emergencies and provide expert neurological care.

PMC awarded Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers

PIKEVILLE — Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) announced that it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. The Gold Seal of Approval® and the Heart-Check mark represent symbols of quality from their respective organizations. PMC has received this honor for eight consecutive years.

The hospital recently underwent a rigorous onsite review during which experts from The Joint Commission evaluated compliance with stroke-related standards and requirements. This included program management, the delivery of care and performance improvement.

“Pikeville Medical Center has thoroughly demonstrated the greatest level of commitment to the care of stroke patients through its Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers,” said Wendi J. Roberts, RN, executive director, Certification Programs, The Joint Commission. “We commend Pikeville Medical Center for becoming a leader in stroke care, potentially providing a higher standard of service for stroke patients in its community.”

“We congratulate Pikeville Medical Center for achieving this designation,” said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. “By adhering to this very specific set of treatment guidelines, Pikeville Medical Center has clearly made it a priority to deliver high quality care to all patients affected by stroke.”

PMC officials were pleased to once again receive Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers.

“Pikeville Medical Center is pleased to receive advanced certification from The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association,” said Dr. Naveed Ahmed, PMC neurologist and medical director of the Primary Stroke Center. “This award is a great honor and is only possible thanks to the dedication of our stroke team and continued support of PMC’s administration.”

Established in 2003, Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers is awarded for a two-year period to Joint Commission-accredited acute care hospitals. The certification was derived from the Brain Attack Coalition’s “Recommendations for the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers” (JAMA, 2000) and the “Revised and Updated Recommendations for the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers” (Stroke, 2011).

On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

What is a Stroke?

Stroke is a disease that affects the arteries of the brain. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel bringing blood and oxygen to the brain becomes blocked or ruptured and brain cells don’t receive the blood needed. Deprived if oxygen, nerve cells can’t function and die within minutes. The part of the body those cells control can’t function either.

The devastating effects of stroke are often permanent since dead brain cells can’t be replaced. The degree of disability depends on the size of the stroke and location in the brain.

Types of Strokes

Ischemic

Most strokes are ischemic, caused by a lack of blood supply to part of the brain.

Hemorrhagic

A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when the brain ruptures an artery. Brain cells beyond the rupture are also deprived of blood and damaged. High blood pressure is the most common cause of hemorrhagic stroke. The constant force of high blood pressure can weaken blood vessel walls, resulting in bleeding in the brain or brain hemorrhage.

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

• A Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) is a temporary interruption of blood flow to part of the brain.
• The symptoms for a TIA are the same as for a stroke, but appear for a shorter period of time (several minutes to 24 hours) and then disappear.
• A TIA indicates a serious underlying rick that a stroke may follow.
• About one-third of all people who have suffered a stroke have experienced a TIA previously.
• Medical attention and evaluation are needed immediately.

After the underlying cause of the TIA are determined, medication, surgery or lifestyle changes may reduce the risk of having a fatal or disabling stroke.

Risk factors for stroke

Knowing your risk factors is the key to prevention. You can learn about your risk factors by having regular medical checkups. Some rick factors can be changed or treated. It is critical for those who have experienced a stroke or TIA to manage risk factors and be compliant with prescribed medications. The rick of a stroke is 10 times greater in patients who have already had a stroke or TIA than it is in those who have never experienced one.

What risk factors can I change or treat?

• High blood pressure
• Tobacco use
• Diabetes mellitus
• Carotid or other artery disease
• TIAs
• Atrial fibrillation or other heart disease
• Certain blood disorders
• High blood cholesterol
• Physical inactivity and obesity
• Excessive alcohol intake
• Illegal drug use

What are the risk factors I can’t control?

• Increasing age
• Gender
• Heredity
• Race
• Prior Stroke

What can I do to control my risk factors?

• Lower blood pressure
• Quit smoking
• Control diabetes
• Be physically active
• Ask your physician about narrowing of the carotid artery (asymptomatic)
• Reduce alcohol use
• Do not use illegal drugs
• Manage stress
• Monitor heart disease with your physician
• Fight obesity
• Avoid high cholesterol

To lower your cholesterol you should:

• Eat a low-fat, low cholesterol diet
• Eat more fruits, vegetables and grains
• Eliminate or reduce meat intake, particularly red meat
• Eat only lean cuts of red meat
• Limit whole eggs to no more than two to three times a week
• Choose dairy products made with skim milk or low-fat milk substitute
• Reduce your saturated fat intake
• Use monounsaturated oils (such as canola, olive or peanut) or polyunsaturated oils (such as corn, sunflower or soybean) instead of saturated fat (butter and lard)
• Avoid hydrogenated oils
• Exercise regularly

If your blood cholesterol level does not improve with lifestyle changes alone, your physician may prescribe cholesterol-lowering medication.

BE FAST to increase recognition and response to stroke symptoms

BALANCE: balance/dizziness

EYES: vision changes

FACE: Ask the person to smile.
Does one side of the face droop?

ARM: Ask the person to raise both arms.
Does one arm drift downward?

SPEECH: Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence.
Does the speech sound slurred of strange?

TIME: If you observe any of these signs, it is time to call 911.
Go to the nearest emergency department immediately for treatment.

Effects of a Stroke

• Uncontrolled crying and/or laughing
• Slow adjustment to new things
• Bowel & bladder control problems
• Sexual concerns
• Intermittent distress
• Major depression
• Grief
• Fatigue
• Difficulty swallowing
• Disturbed sleep or appetite

Severity of Physical Effects depends on the following:

• Type of Stroke
• The extent and location of the damaged brain cells
• How well the body repairs the blood supply to the brain
• How quickly other areas of the brain tissue take over the work of the damaged cells

When a stroke occurs, it usually takes place in a single area in one hemisphere.

A stroke in the left hemisphere affects the right side of the body and a stroke in the right hemisphere affects the left side of the body.

To diagnose a stroke, information on the type of stroke, source of the stroke and location of the brain injury is needed.

Once in the emergency room, your doctor or stroke emergency team may do the following:

• Inquire about your medical history
• Perform a physical and neurological exam
• Conduct laboratory (blood) tests
• Perform imaging tests on your brain

Where can I learn more?

Mayo Clinic > Diseases & Conditions > Stroke

American Stroke Association’s “Warmline”: 1-888-4-STROKE (1-888-478-7865)

www.americanstroke.org

Life After Stroke: https://www.stroke.org/en/life-after-stroke

Stroke support groups in Pike County: 430-7580

For a free publication for stroke survivors and caregivers:

Stroke Connection Magazine: 1-888-478-7653

Stroke Smart Magazine: 1-800-787-6537