|
|
||
|
Hospital certified for treating strokes Mary Washington is now a certified stroke center, treating patients like Larry Adkinson Date published: 8/23/2009
BY JIM HALL The chaos inside Larry Adkinson's head after his stroke was so intense--and the relief so welcome--that it reminded him of being shot down over Vietnam. Adkinson flew 681 combat missions in Vietnam. On one mission, his A-4 Skyhawk plane was hit, setting off a riot of noise and lights inside the cockpit. Adkinson ejected and remembers the contrasting silence as he floated to earth with his parachute. At Mary Washington Hospital last year, where he was taken after his stroke, Adkinson couldn't speak or move his left side. His head hurt, and he was barely conscious. But he received a clot-dissolving drug called tPA, and slowly he began to get better. His brain began to quiet. "He's an example of a patient with a massive stroke who improved over the next month. The reason he improved so well is because of the tPA," said Dr. Maha Alattar, neurologist and medical director of the new stroke center at Mary Washington. Adkinson, 68, has since regained his speech and the use of his left side. He considers himself an example of what can happen when a stroke victim receives quick and effective help. "I'm in synch again," he said. THE LUCKY FEW Not all stroke patients experience the recovery that Adkinson did. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. And many who survive can't move, speak or think as they once did. At Mary Washington, only 20 of the 460 people treated for acute stroke last year received a clot-busting drug. And not all of those experienced the relief that Adkinson felt. "Stroke is the No. 1 cause of disability in our community," said Eleanor Redmond, stroke coordinator for Mary Washington. Still, there are recognized ways to treat stroke patients. And there are hospitals, called certified stroke centers, that practice those techniques. Mary Washington last month became the 14th hospital in Virginia to be designated an Advanced Primary Stroke Center. The certification came July 25 from the Joint Commission, the non-profit agency that accredits the nation's hospitals. "When you have that, you don't need to go an hour in the ambulance north or to Richmond" for stroke care, Alattar said. "You have it right here." That care extends from the patient's arrival in the emergency room through hospitalization and discharge, Alattar said.
Read more stories about Fredericksburg Date published: 8/23/2009
Larry promoted me to Sgt back in the day when he was an AcDu Colonel. Great guy! My mentor! Glad he was able to stick around longer and recovered so well! Semper Fi!
|
|
|||||||||||
