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Contra Costa County’s comprehensive primary stroke system
January 12th, 2012The Contra Costa STROKE System program will consist of a collaborative network of Primary Stroke Centers who work in concert with 9-1-1 Prehospital Providers, to identify patients, who may be victims of stroke and rapidly triage them to stroke centers. Stroke Background: Stroke is a national and local epidemic. It is the third leading cause of death in California and a leading cause of serious long-term disability. Every 45 seconds, someone has a stroke and every three minutes, someone dies of stroke in the United States. Nearly one quarter of strokes occur in people under the age of 65. Stroke is among the five leading causes of death for people of all races and ethnicities. But the risk of having a stroke varies. Components of a Stroke System
•Expeditious EMS dispatch and response
•Pre-hospital stroke screening and patient assessment
•Communication with receiving facilities
•Community partnerships to promote stroke recognition and reduction
•Stroke-ready emergency departments to provide fast, appropriate care and referral including:
•Administration of tPA (clot-busting drug treatment when clinically appropriate and if within three hours of onset of symptoms
•Rapid neurological imaging
•Rapid laboratory test results
•Access to endovascular treatments Early Action is Key:
Patients who arrive within three hours of their first stroke symptoms tend to be healthier and have better outcomes three months after a stroke than those whose care was delayed. For the best chances of recover, don’t wait, call 9-1-1 immediately!
*content provided by Contra Costa EMS
Contra Costa Emergency Medical Services Stroke System
