MidCentral DHB launches stroke prevention initiative

23/10/2009 | Stroke prevention initiative launched

This year’s International Stroke day coincided with the district wide launch of a new software diagnostic tool to help identify and treat patients who may be at risk of suffering a stroke after experiencing a transient ischaemic attack (TIA).

In order to identify patients who may have suffered a TIA and be at risk of a stroke, MidCentral District Health Board has initiated a programme which sees general practitioners and hospital specialists share responsibility for TIA assessment and management.

A TIA is a short episode of partial brain function impairment due to a temporary blockage of an artery. They are most often associated with impaired vision, speech, strength or sensation and typically last between 2 and 15 minutes.

Although a TIA leaves no long term damage it can signal the risk of a serious and permanent neurological problem such as a stroke. Those who have suffered a TIA are four times more likely to suffer a stroke in the medium to long term.

To best prevent a stroke, TIAs should be fully assessed and managed within 24 hours to seven days. The longer the delay in assessment and management of a TIA the greater the risk to a patient’s health.

MidCentral Health’s clinical head of neurology, Dr Anna Ranta, together with Palmerston North GP Dr Jonathon Morton, developed a TIA assessment tool which allows the GP to determine the risk of stroke to a patient who may have suffered a TIA and the next step in that particular patient’s management.

“In some cases the assessment will indicate that the patient requires an urgent referral to the hospital in others evaluation will signal the need for timely diagnostic investigation by way of a CT scan or ultrasound,” explains Dr Ranta.

“Where traditionally patients would then have to be transferred to the hospital for such diagnostic assessment, GPs can, in a matter of days, access the diagnostic services of radiology clinics. The patient’s GP and the hospital neurologist will be informed of the results and work together to manage any subsequent treatment the patient may require.”

The assessment module received a lot of interest when presented at a neurological conference in Christchurch recently and in connection with the district wide launch stroke experts from around the country are gathering in Palmerston North to discuss ways in which this assessment tool can be adopted as a nationwide approach to stroke prevention.

For more information please contact:
Caroline Rowe
Communications Advisor
Funding Division
MidCentral District Health Board
ph: 021 162 0274