Quick Stroke Response at Ingalls Means Faster Recovery for South Suburban Man
(May, 2012)
An occasional headache at work is something most of us experience from time to time.
But a nagging headache that lasts all day may be a sign of something more serious.
For 57-year-old Tom Collins, a paramedic/cardiac technician for Advanced Heart Group in Harvey, it was the first clue something wasn’t right.
“I had a very bad headache all day,” he recalls. “It was really bothering me.”
But Collins shook it off and continued to work for the rest of the day.
Later, as he prepared to leave, the room started spinning. That’s the last thing he remembers before waking up in CT scanning at Ingalls.
“I basically passed out,” he explained. “Before I passed out, I couldn’t see. The room was spinning and I had to sit down.”
Fortunately for Collins, cardiologist Francis Almeda, M.D., was nearby when Collins collapsed and suspected a stroke.
Within minutes, Collins was whisked to the hospital’s Emergency Department, where he was met by neurologist Engin Yilmaz, M.D., and cardiologist P. Sandy Sundram, M.D. The hospital’s stroke protocol was activated, and Collins was taken for a CT scan to determine the stroke’s cause and extent.
The CT scan confirmed the presence of an ischemic stroke (caused by a blockage), and Collins immediately received the clot-busting drug tPA to minimize the stroke’s damage.
“It all happened within 30 minutes,” Collins said. “They took wonderful care of me.”
Although he suffered damage to his left side and experienced some speech difficulties, physical and speech therapy at Ingalls Center for Rehabilitative Medicine helped Collins overcome the deficits. Within weeks, he was back to work.
“When it comes to a stroke, time is everything,” he added. “I know mine could have been a lot worse. The staff in the ER were really flying. They took great care of me and my family.”
Primary Stroke Center
In 2010, Illinois lawmakers enacted legislation to ensure that patients with suspected stroke are transported to the nearest Primary Stroke Center. Ingalls is one of two in the south suburbs.
Stroke center designation means a hospital has written emergency stroke care protocols in place; a director of stroke care to oversee stroke policies and procedures; the ability to administer clot-busting drugs such as tPA (tissue plasminogen activator); and has the staff and resources to conduct brain imaging tests such as CT scans and MRIs at all times.
“Hospitals with a specialty stroke center designation like Ingalls have the resources and the ability to rapidly assess suspected strokes and offer recommended treatments such as tPA promptly, minimizing the possibility of long-term disability,” said Engin Yilmaz, M.D., medical director of the Ingalls Stroke Center. “Numerous studies have shown that stroke patients receive better care and experience better outcomes when they are at a Primary Stroke Center like Ingalls.”
To determine your personal risk for stroke, visit Ingalls.org/StrokeAware and take a simple seven-minute online assessment.
Stroke Warning Signs
If the following symptoms appear, call 911 to get immediate medical help:
- Sudden weakness, numbness or paralysis of the face, arm or leg (especially on one side of the body)
- Loss of speech or trouble talking or understanding language
- Sudden loss of vision, particularly in one eye
- Sudden, severe headache with no apparent cause
- Unexplained dizziness, loss of balance or coordination (especially if associated with any of the above symptoms).
