DOHA: The Neurology Department of Hamad Medical Corporation will open a stroke unit this year to facilitate efficient and coordinated care of stroke patients. The department is also working to enhance the speed and accuracy of stroke diagnosis and care at the Emergency Department, according to an expert.
"Over the last few years we have been witnessing a steady increase in stroke cases, which account for a vast majority of our in-patients" said Dr Dirk Deleu, head of the Neurology and Neurophysiology Department at HMC. "We have more than 600 new cases admitted on a yearly basis. With the numbers multiplied by the last few years, the number of patients is huge in a population of 1.6m," he said.
Stroke is caused due to lack of blood supply to brain cells, which can lead to the death of these cells within minutes and they cannot be replaced. The result is a loss of function of the nervous system in the specific body part associated with the part of the brain where the stroke occurred.
"By the end of the year, we plan to open a stroke unit that will look into acute cases for a week. It will have a limited number of beds as we see three to five acute patients each week. It will have all the facilities to monitor different kinds of potential complications of stroke patients, ranging from pulmonary problems and paralysis to cardiac and brain issues," he said.
Close monitoring has been found to help in fast and better recovery of stroke patients. Since the outcome is better, the need for such facility is great for Qatar. The department had opened an out-patient stroke clinic to make it easy for patients to consult with experts. It had also introduced last year a neurophysiology technique that uses electricity to stimulate and study brain functions.
Another major issue the department is looking into is the care stroke patients are given at the emergency sections. Reported lack of attention given to stroke patients caused controversy recently following the death of a leading Islamic scholar.
Early intervention can make a huge difference to a patient's recovery and minimise brain damage. "There are some glitches in the care which can happen even in the best facilities. We are working to facilitate and speed up the emergency procedures of even potential stroke patients."
The major warning signs of a stroke include sudden numbness or weakness of the limbs, confusion or difficulty speaking or understanding, trouble with vision, dizziness or a sudden onset of severe headache. "Anyone with one of the symptoms is a potential stroke case and should be given needed attention until proven otherwise. This is our policy and we are trying to impregnate that into the emergency system," Dr Deleu said.
HMC is one of the few centres in the region that provide thrombolysis dissolving of blood clots. Even thrombolytic therapy is ineffective a few hours after a stroke.
"Diabetes, high lipid levels obesity and smoking are the four major risk factors and the average risk factor of a person in Qatar is 3.5 out of four. So it calls for more awareness both in the public and the healthcare providers," he said.
By Huda NV
© The Peninsula 2010
