>> Fiona: WELCOME BACK TO "SA
LIVE."
WELL, IF YOU HAVE EVER
EXPERIENCED A STROKE OR KNOW
SOMEONE WHO HAS, THE EFFECTS CAN
BE DEBILITATING.
BUT NEW TECHNOLOGY AT ST. LUKE'S
BAPTIST IS HELPING TO CHANGE
THAT.
HERE WITH ME TODAY IS
DR. GRANDE, SURGEON WITH U.T.
HEALTH, AND MICHELLE DIRECTOR OF
STROKE SERVICES AT ST. LUKE'S
BAPTIST HOSPITAL.
WHAT IS THIS NEW RAPID
TECHNOLOGY?
>> WELL, THANKS FOR LETTING US
TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT.
SO RAPID TECHNOLOGY IS A GREAT
TOOL THAT WE CAN USE IN THE
TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH A
STROKE.
SPECIFICALLY THE PATIENTS THAT
WE ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS ARE
THOSE WITH SOMETHING CALLED A
LARGE VESSEL OCCLUSION.
BASICALLY THAT OCCURS WHEN A
CLOT COMES FROM SOME PART OF THE
BODY AND WEDGES INTO A BIG
ARTERY IN THE NECK OR IN THE
BRAIN.
AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE THOSE SORT
OF STROKES ARE REALLY, REALLY
SICK.
SO WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS IDENTIFY
WHICH PATIENTS WE CAN HELP BY
GOING IN AND THREADING A
CATHETER AND WIRE AND JUST
EXTRACTING THAT CLOT.
AND SO RAPID IS THE TOOL THAT WE
CAN USE FOR TREATING THOSE
PATIENTS.
>> Fiona: SO YOU MENTIONED A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT RAPID.
HOW MUCH MORE DOES IT CHANGE
THAT TREATMENT PROCESS?
>> WELL, THAT'S AN EXCELLENT
QUESTION.
SO WHEN WE SEE PATIENTS WHO HAVE
THIS LARGE VESSEL OCCLUSION, WE
WANT TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOU
HAVE ANY BRAIN THAT CAN BE
SALVAGED.
AND RAPID TECHNOLOGY IS AN
AUTOMATED FORM OF SOFTWARE IN
WHICH WE CAN GET A SCAN.
IT GETS SENT REALLY QUICKLY T A
REPOSITORY AND A COMPUTER SYSTEM
BASICALLY GIVES US WHETHER THAT
PATIENT CAN BE TREATED OR NOT
AND HAS BRAIN AT RISK OR NOT.
AND IT COMES RIGHT TO OUR CELL
PHONE AND E-MAIL IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE NIGHT.
>> Fiona: IT'S AMAZING HOW
FAST THEY ARE CHANGING
TECHNOLOGY-WISE, AND HOW MUCH
IT'S HELPING.
MICHELLE, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE
YOU ARE SEEING IN PATIENTS AFTER
INTRODUCING THIS TECHNOLOGY?
>> ONE OF THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE
WE'RE NOTICING IS THAT PATIENTS
WHO OTHERWISE WERE NOT ELIGIBLE
FOR TREATMENT ARE ACTUALLY NOW
ELIGIBLE FOR TREATMENT.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO OFFER AN
OPTION.
I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT IS
A BIG DIFFERENCE IS PATIENTS
THAT HAD DEVASTATING STROKES
THAT WE DID NOT ANTICIPATE THAT
THEY WOULD RETURN HOME IN A
STATE OF INDEPENDENCE, BEING
ABLE TO CARE FOR THEMSELVES.
THEY ARE NOW ACTUALLY ABLE TO GO
HOME AND BE INDEPENDENT.
AND SOMETIMES THIS WOULD BE
LEAVING THE HOSPITAL WITHIN
POSSIBLY TWO TO THREE DAYS OR
WITHIN A WEEK.
AND SO THAT'S PRETTY AMAZING.
>> Fiona: SO HOW DOES IT WORK
WHEN A STROKE PATIENT COMES TO
THE HOSPITAL?
>> WHEN A STROKE PATIENT COMES
TO THE HOSPITAL, OUR GOAL IS TO
GET THE INFORMATION AS FAST AS
WE CAN SO OUR PHYSICIAN TEAM CAN
EVALUATE THE PATIENT AND HAVE
THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO
MAKE TREATMENT INDIVIDUALS.
IT STARTS WITH INDIVIDUALS
CALLING 9-1-1 AND THE 9-1-1
AGENCY WILL CALL AHEAD TO THE
HOSPITAL AND LET US KNOW WE HAVE
A STROKE PATIENT COMING IN.
WE WILL TAKE THAT PATIENT
DIRECTLY TO A CT SCANNER AND OUR
FIRST ORDER IS TO GET THE
IMAGING DONE SO WE CAN GET A
PICTURE OF THEIR BRAIN.
THAT INFORMATION WILL BE SHOT
OVER TO OUR PHYSICIAN TEAM.
THEY CAN LOOK AT THE BRAIN
IMAGING AND MAKE TREATMENT
DECISIONS FROM THERE.
WE ARE UNDER A VERY STRICT
TIMELINE SO WE CAN GET THIS
INFORMATION DONE AND MOVE ON
WITH TREATMENT CHOICES.
>> Fiona: BEFORE WE GO, FOR
FOLKS WHO MAY NOT KNOW HOW TO
RECOGNIZE A STROKE, THERE IS A
FAST WAY TO DO THAT.
>> THERE IS.
IT IS EXACTLY THAT, FAST.
WE LOOK FOR FACE, ANY FACIAL
WEAKNESS OR DROOPING, ARM, ANY
ARM WEAKNESS.