According to the CDC, every 40 seconds someone in the United States has a stroke. Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and the fourth-leading cause of death. These are frightening statistics. Here are some more:
- Within 3-4 minutes without oxygen, brain cells begin to die; after this point, about 2,000,000 brain cells die per minute
- Every 15 minutes that treatment is delayed, brain death increases by 5%
- 25% of strokes are repeat strokes
- Up to 17% of strokes occur in the hospital to patients who are in for other reasons
- More than 50% of in-hospital strokes go undetected for 5 hours
“Time is brain”
Neurologists have coined the phrase “time is brain” because of the short window of time that they have to effectively treat stroke patients. The first hour after stroke onset is called “the golden hour” because, during those first minutes, treatment is most effective. But the benefits of treatment wane as the time elapses from the initial onset of symptoms, as more and more brain cells die.
Acute ischemic strokes (AIS), caused by blood clots, are responsible for 80% of all strokes in the U.S. One of the critical treatments for AIS is thrombolytic therapy, or administering clot-busting drugs intravenously to dissolve clots.
Several studies have demonstrated that stroke patients who received thrombolytic therapy within three hours of the onset of an ischemic stroke were at least 30% more likely to have minimal or no disability within three months. One study indicated that over 32% of those who received thrombolytics less than three hours from the onset of symptoms had improved outcomes over those who did not receive the treatment. If the treatment was administered between 3 and 4.5 hours, about 16% of the patients experienced improved outcomes.
Unfortunately, too few people are receiving the potentially life-changing thrombolytic treatment for AIS, since too few strokes are caught in time.
Decreasing the time to treatment
Patients in the hospital for various other medical conditions or surgery should be monitored closely for signs of stroke, especially if they have a history of prior stroke or cardiovascular disease. However limited staffing time requires innovative measures. That is why we at Neuralert created the stroke detection monitor to be the 24/7 eyes and ears for the busy medical staff.
Our unique, non-invasive wristband technology combined with our state-of-the-art patented algorithm detects asymmetry in arm movement, one of the initial indications of stroke onset, while mathematically ruling out other causes of asymmetry, in order to eliminate false positives. Nurses will know if they get an alert from the Neuralert technology, the patient needs immediate attention.
Neuralert’s technology can also be used in an outpatient setting for patients who are at high risk of stroke. When Neuralert registers signs of a possible stroke, an alert is sent to the designated medical professionals in order to quickly deploy medical support.
Neuralert has been proven to detect stroke in as little as 15 minutes, putting many patients well within the “golden hour” for treatment. Consider partnering with Neuralert to decrease stroke response time and potentially improve outcomes for your patients, your loved ones, and yourself.
