Stroke
A stroke is a medical emergency where blood flow to the brain is either reduced or stopped, depriving brain tissue of essential oxygen and nutrients. A stroke may cause loss in brain function and affect movement and speech.
Stroke care facility in Bradenton, Florida
When stroke treatment is needed, you want to know you're receiving exceptional care from a team of specialists.
HCA Florida Blake Hospital is proud to be the first and only Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) certified by DNV GL Healthcare in Manatee County. As a CSC, we deliver the highest quality of care to complex cases, offering evidence-based treatments with cutting-edge research protocols. Our hospital has the personnel, infrastructure and expertise to diagnose and treat patients experiencing strokes who require intensive medical and surgical care, specialized tests or interventional therapies. We also have a dedicated stroke unit where patients can recover from a stroke under the care and supervision of our multidisciplinary, highly trained stroke care team.
Stroke is a medical emergency.
If you believe someone is experiencing a stroke, call 911 immediately.
If you believe someone is experiencing a stroke, call 911 immediately.
Related Specialties
Learn more about our related specialties
Our hospital's stroke care services
We provide advanced and comprehensive stroke care, enabling us to quickly and effectively perform specialized testing, therapies and surgeries to treat various types of strokes.
Nationally recognized stroke center
Our CSC certification from DNV GL Healthcare is based on standards set forth by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association. This designation affirms that our hospital addresses the full spectrum of stroke care — diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and education — and establishes clear metrics to evaluate outcomes. We can treat patients experiencing hemorrhagic or large ischemic strokes as well as other stroke incidents, including aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhages.
Stroke treatment
It is ideal to administer medication or have surgical intervention within the first three hours of experiencing stroke symptoms. These actions can minimize the potential long-term effects of a stroke. Some stroke treatments we offer include:
- Acute stroke thrombectomy: This procedure, performed in our state-of-the-art neurointerventional laboratory, involves the surgical removal of a blood clot that is blocking blood flow to the brain.
- Blood pressure medication: For patients experiencing a hemorrhagic stroke, initial treatment is focused on easing the pressure in the brain through blood pressure medications.
- Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) administration: For patients experiencing an ischemic stroke, the clot-busting drug tPA may be administered to break up the clot blocking blood flow.
Multidisciplinary, coordinated stroke care
The stroke team at our hospital offers rapid, coordinated stroke treatment by implementing the following:
- Communication with local emergency medical services (EMS): Before a patient even arrives at our hospital, the stroke team has been in contact with local EMS and a "stroke alert" has been called. This helps emergency physicians prepare for expedited.
- Dedicated "stroke alert" team: When a "stroke alert" is called, a team of highly skilled medical professionals will assemble to provide immediate care. The team includes emergency physicians, surgeons, neurologists, nurses, therapists, laboratory staff, pharmacists and radiologists.
- Expedited imaging services: When a patient arrives at the hospital, they can receive a computerized tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within 45 minutes of admittance. The team quickly analyzes imaging results with the help of our medical laboratory, which is open 24/7.
- Acute, inpatient hospital care: We provide continued, intensive care in our hospital for patients following initial stroke treatment. The goal is to facilitate a faster return to normal life for patients.
- Stroke rehabilitation: The rehabilitation process begins immediately after discharge from the hospital. The goal of stroke rehabilitation is to improve long-term outcomes and decrease stroke-related cognitive complications.
Understanding stroke
A stroke is a serious medical condition that requires immediate emergency care, which is why being knowledgeable about stroke can help save a life.
Types of stroke
A stroke is caused by interrupted blood flow to part of the brain. When blood flow is stopped, that part of the brain can't receive oxygen and other nutrients. This causes brain cells to die and can result in permanent damage, even death.
There are different types of strokes, including:
- Hemorrhagic stroke: when a blood vessel ruptures and blood leaks into the brain
- Ischemic stroke: when a blood clot blocks blood flow to part of the brain
- Transient ischemic attack (TIA) or "mini stroke": when there is temporary interruption of blood flow to part of the brain
Stroke symptoms
It's important to be able to recognize signs of a stroke so you can act quickly when they occur. Common stroke symptoms include sudden:
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Loss of balance or coordination
- Numbness, weakness or paralysis of the face, arm or leg (especially on one side of the body)
- Severe headache with no known cause (may be accompanied by pain in the face or stiffness in the neck)
- Trouble seeing in one or both eyes (such as blurred, blackened or double vision)
- Trouble speaking
- Trouble walking
The symptoms of a TIA are the same as those of a stroke, but they usually last only a few minutes. If you think you are experiencing a stroke, don't drive. Call 911.
Stroke risk factors
There are certain factors and conditions that may put you at risk for stroke. However, some of those conditions can often be treated. Some of the major risk factors for stroke include:
- Being 55 years old and older
- Having a family history of stroke
- Having atrial fibrillation (AFib)
- Having diabetes
- Having heart disease
- Having high blood pressure
- Having high cholesterol
- Having poor circulation
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