Emergency care for Flin Flon and Creighton area stroke victims has taken a step forward.
Telestroke, a program that connects rural physicians with Winnipeg-based stroke specialists, is now available in The Pas.
“This is a shining example of maximizing technology and clinical expertise to produce better outcomes for our patients,” said Helga Bryant, CEO of the Northern Health Region.
St. Anthony’s General Hospital in The Pas became a Telestroke hub last week, serving a broad region that includes Flin Flon.
Telestroke allows emergency physicians in rural hospitals to work with stroke neurologists and radiologists in other communities through videoconferencing and shared CT scan images.
This means the specialists can work with the local provider to determine if a stroke has occurred, the type of stroke and the most appropriate treatment options.
“The neurologist and our ER physician can confer so that treatment can begin immediately in The Pas,” said Bryant.
“The added value of Telestroke to what we have now is the [Winnipeg] neurologist consult added into the process.”
Assessed
A patient who calls 911 in the event of a suspected stroke will be assessed. If the patient meets the criteria for an acute stroke, he or she can be fast-tracked to The Pas.
“From stroke onset there is the three-hour window for successful treatment, so a 132-km transport to The Pas is a very acceptable timeframe,” said Bryant, adding that once a patient is stable, he or she will be transferred back to Flin Flon for further recovery.
Not all Flin Flon and area stroke victims will be transported to The Pas. In cases of a stroke, staff arrange transfer to the most appropriate site for further investigation and a CT scan.
“This could be The Pas, Winnipeg or Saskatoon,” said Bryant. “That [CT scan] result will then be viewed a by neurologist and a treatment plan determined.
The regional Telestroke hub was located in The Pas because a CT scanner and a radiologist are at the heart of the treatment.
“There is no CT scanner in Flin Flon but there is in The Pas,” Bryant said. “The CT is a necessary tool to ensure that there is no bleeding in the brain before the treatment is given.”
St. Anthony’s in The Pas is the fifth Manitoba hospital to join Telestroke. The others are Thompson General Hospital, Health Sciences Centre and St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg, and Brandon General Hospital.
Stroke is the third-leading cause of death in Canada and one of the leading causes of disability.
