Norton Emergency Stroke Team
Our rapid approach to acute stroke care
When experiencing a stroke, every minute counts – you have no time to lose. No matter where you are in the Louisville metro area when symptoms first occur, Norton Stroke Care is close at hand. With four area hospitals, Norton Healthcare specialists are readily available to quickly assess and evaluate your condition. If you need acute stroke care, you will be rapidly transported and directly admitted to the downtown Norton Hospital Stroke Center for emergency treatment and surgery if necessary. With the availability of so many area facilities, Norton Healthcare offers easier, more direct access to emergency stroke care than any other health care provider in the region.
The Norton Emergency Stroke Team, which forms the first line of defense against brain attack, is a highly specialized, multidisciplinary team of neurologists, neurosurgeons, vascular surgeons, neuroradiolgists, cardiologists, emergency medicine doctors and nurse specialists, all working around-the-clock to combat stroke emergencies. Upon a patient’s arrival at the downtown Stroke Center – or even beforehand – the Norton Emergency Stroke Team is paged and springs into action. Through teamwork, advanced diagnostic procedures and innovative therapies such as clot dissolving tPA, the team begins aggressive treatment for the stroke patient within minutes of arrival.
The first step is a comprehensive evaluation and CT scan to determine the type of stroke and the patient’s best course of action. Not all strokes are treated the same, so determining the specific cause allows the stroke team to optimize treatment and help to prevent complications. The team uses state-of-the-art diagnostics, many of which were not available a few years ago, including new, more sophisticated CT scans that view the stroke within the brain; MRIs that show which parts of the brain are permanently damaged and which can be repaired; and blood flow tests to show how much blood is getting to the brain.
New drugs, advanced surgical techniques and interventional neuroradiology procedures are among the effective new medical options now available for stroke patients. These therapies have the potential to reverse the effects of stroke, significantly reduce permanent disability from stroke and lead to an optimal recovery; however, to even have a chance, they must be administered within the first few hours after the onset of stroke symptoms. That's why brain attack patients can trust the fast action and unique team approach to treatment provided by the Norton Emergency Stroke Team.
