When a patient is having a stroke, or other time-sensitive cerebrovascular emergency, every second counts. If given quickly enough, the right treatment often can dramatically reverse a stroke and minimize disability.
A new partnership between Gottlieb Memorial Hospital and Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood is ensuring that patients receive the best and fastest treatments possible.
Gottlieb emergency department physicians use a telepresence robot to work in close collaboration with Loyola’s stroke specialists via a secure internet connection. Working with Gottlieb’s emergency department and neurology physicians, the doctors will diagnose and recommend treatments for strokes and other vascular brain disorders, such as aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations.
The Loyola specialists will be immediately available via the robot.
“Time is brain,” said Mark DeSilva, MD, medical director, Emergency Department of Gottlieb. “The faster a patient is diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome. Our partnership with Loyola will help us provide our patients with the quickest treatments possible.”
The robot is equipped with a microphone and a full-color, high-definition camera. Test results and images such as CT scans can be instantly transmitted to our academic medical center partner. Controlling remotely with a joystick, the Loyola neurologist will roll the robot to the patient’s side and operate the camera. The Loyola specialist can then see, hear and talk to the patient and the patient’s family, doctors and nurses. The specialist can even hear the patient’s heartbeat because the robot has its own built-in stethoscope.
Most strokes are caused by blood clots in the brain. If given soon enough, an intravenous drug called tPA can stop a stroke by dissolving the clot and restoring blood flow in the brain.
But, tPA is not appropriate for all stroke patients. Strokes also can be difficult to diagnose correctly. These and other factors can cause delays in treatment. By having immediate access to Loyola stroke specialists who have advanced training in tPA and other treatments, Gottlieb will be able to more rapidly diagnose and treat patients.
“This remarkable technology will give our patients instant access to the expertise of one of the nation’s leading stroke centers,” said Dr. DeSilva. “We are cutting down the boundaries of geography and time.”
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM
