Salem Township Hospital has joined with the Mid America Stroke Network, founded by Saint Louis University Hospital, and has been a stroke-ready hospital since 2008. Strokes occur when a blood vessel carrying oxygen and vital nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or ruptures. When this occurs, part of the brain, is deprived of blood and oxygen, destroying millions of valuable nerve cells within minutes.
Treatment may be available if you get to the emergency room immediately upon recognition of stroke symptoms. The only medication available to treat a stroke must be given within the first 3 hours of the stroke onset. It has the proven ability to reduce or eliminate the disabilities that result from stroke. This is why calling 911 is so important because the window of opportunity for treatment narrows with each minute that passes. After 3 hours, surgery may be the only intervention and after about 6 hours, there is very little that can be done to alter the course of the stroke and the brain damage it causes.
