ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — HCA HealthONE When the warning of a stroke comes over the loudspeakers in Sweden, the healthcare team knows that every second counts to give patients the best chance for a full recovery.

“We have to go fast. And that’s the whole goal, to get them from the door of the hospital — whether it’s the helipad or the emergency room — to the operating room, so you can open the artery in less than 45 minutes.” Dr., a neurointerventional surgeon at HCA HealthONE Sweden. Don Frei explained. “We’re probably faster at doing that than any other center in the world because our team is ready.”

Maggy Wolanske

The team conducted a mock strike alert to demonstrate its rapid response, starting from the helipad where the patient could first arrive for care.

“I like to say that it was actually the pilot who saved the patient because we were able to go fast and didn’t encounter traffic in the air,” said Erin Eubank, HCA HealthONE AirLife flight nurse. “So we can get the often time-sensitive patient from point A to point B as quickly as possible.”

Maggy Wolanske

Once the patient is lowered from the helipad into the procedure room, a team of medical specialists meets to determine whether the patient is suffering from a stroke and evaluate the necessary treatment.

Neurologist Dr. from Swedish HCA HealthONE. “Millions of brain cells can die in a matter of minutes, so we’re really dependent on EMS giving us a report as quickly as possible,” explained Cynthia Dickerson. “Young people, especially those who can have a stroke, are very prone to have symptoms that worsen rapidly within minutes.”

Maggy Wolanske

During the fake strike warning, Dr. Dickerson asked the patient several questions focusing on touch, balance, and movement.

Dr. “These questions help me, as a neurologist, determine how likely it is that this is a stroke. And if it’s a severe stroke, it helps me alert the right team,” Dickerson said.

Although technological advances help medical teams such as HCA HealthONE Sweden in treatment, this team is aware that time is always of the essence.

Dr. “We are treating more and more patients as indications continue to expand,” Frei explained. “We were involved in the original thrombectomy trials that showed Level 1 evidence that it is the most effective treatment in the medical era, and we are working on time efficiency.”

Maggy Wolanske

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and can lead to serious long-term disability. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. stroke symptoms add:

• Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, difficulty speaking or understanding speech
• Sudden vision problem in one or both eyes
• Sudden difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance or lack of coordination
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

Dr. “There are 800,000 strokes a year in the United States. Our population continues to age. There are risk factors that cause hardening of the arteries, such as smoking, hypertension, atrial fibrillation and diabetes,” Frei said.
HCA HealthONE Swedish doctors want to educate people about the symptoms of stroke and the urgency required for people who may have a stroke.

“I think the important thing is, if you’re someone in the community, you have to understand the signs and symptoms of a stroke. Call 911. EMS needs to take the patient to a comprehensive stroke center like Sweden where we know what to do. Not every hospital does that,” Dr. Frei.