How is a stroke center different from an ER?

ATrain Authors Answer Your Questions

This month's question was suggested by an ER nurse who asked, "I am thinking about working in a stroke center. Can you tell me what a stroke center is and how it compares to an ER?"

We asked JoAnn O'Toole, RN, BSN, our Nurse Planner and Editor and co-author of our Acute Stroke class to respond.

JoAnn's Answer

The goal of primary stroke centers is to foster better outcomes for stroke patients by providing primary and secondary stroke prevention and treatment. Acute ischemic strokes may be treated with t-PA. Interventional radiology offers intra-arterial t-PA, catherer-related thrombus manipulation, extraction and stenting. Programs offered include risk factor modification and prevention, anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy, physical, occupational, speech and respiratory therapy.

While many ERs can treat stroke patients with
t-PA, only stroke centers have comprehensive programs of prevention, treatment, dedicated stroke units and rehabilitation centers that are geared to the stroke patient. In the same way that trauma centers have systems and personnell in place to treat trauma patients, stroke centers are set up to respond quickly to diagnose and treat stroke patients with the latest stroke therapies available.

-- JoAnn O'Toole, RN, BSN

About Ask ATrain

Ask ATrain is a feature in which our nurse planners, experts, and authors will answer some of your questions about health-related topics in their areas of expertise.

Each month, we select a question sent by our clients for one of our staff to address. To ask a question, send us an email with the subject "Ask ATrain" (see Disclaimer).