Medical services

Stroke care at Yale-New Haven Hospital

Primary Stroke Center

Yale-New Haven Hospital is the first hospital in southern Connecticut and only the fourth hospital in New England to become nationally certified as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). For Primary Stroke Center designation, JCAHO recognized Yale-New Haven Hospital’s commitment to providing the highest standard of patient care, including rapid assessment by a multidisciplinary team and the most advanced treatment with clot-busting medications.

Staff

A team of physicians and nurses specially trained in evaluating and treating stroke patients are on-call 24-hours a day, seven days a week to respond to a stroke emergency. We bring together all the specialists and resources you might need:

• neurologists trained in stroke medicine
• neuroradiologists
• neurovascular surgeons
• nuclear laboratories
• neurovascular catherization labs
• specialized ICUs
• step-down units dedicated to stroke care

Our stroke team maintains a collaborative relationship with local EMS, the adult Emergency Services, dedicated stroke units and rehabilitation facilities to ensure patients receive the most comprehensive treatment during and after a stroke. Together, they utilize promising technological advances to diagnose and treat stroke swiftly and aggressively.

Experience

Medical experts have reported that when hospitals are certified as a primary stroke center, more stroke patients are successfully treated for their stroke and fewer patients suffer from bad outcomes.

At Yale-New Haven, we care for more than 800 patients a year who have been diagnosed with stroke. All elements of a stroke center are in place to provide swift, immediate care from the time the emergency department is alerted that a stroke patient is enroute to the time a patient is ready for discharge.

Treatment options

Treatment options include the use of clot-dissolving agents called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) as well as a number of medications used for the prevention of future strokes. The departments of neurosurgery and neurointerventional radiology offer the latest surgical treatments and vascular procedures for the prevention of stroke, such as carotid endarterectomy and cerebral aneurysm surgery. Clinicians also treat the risk factors related to stroke such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and smoking.

Rehabilitation

The outlook for stroke patients is more hopeful than in the past due to advances in stroke treatment and rehabilitation. The rehabilitation staff at Yale-New Haven Hospital work with the patient and the family to help the patient achieve optimal function again.

Choosing a physician

Choosing a specialist is one of the most important decisions you can make about your health care. Board certification is considered the gold standard when checking the credentials of a prospective neurologist or neurosurgeon. Each specialty has a national board that sets standards of care and certifies physicians who have completed the requisite years of specialized training and have successfully passed a rigorous examination. If you would like to find a board-certified physician, use our online Physician Referral Service or call toll free 1 (888) 700-6543.

Recognize the warning symptoms of a stroke

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Call 9-1-1 if you experience these signs

Return to the YNHH medical services page

Last revised July 30, 2007 (dh)

Home page URL: http://www.ynhh.org

All information is intended for your general knowledge and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician before starting a new fitness regimen.