Strokes are a medical emergency and urgent treatment is essential. The sooner a person receives treatment for a stroke, the less damage is likely to happen and the better their recovery.
The Royal Victoria Infirmary has a hyper acute stroke unit (Ward 42), referred to as a HASU. The unit is specially designed to ensure that every patient we see receives the high standards of treatment and care as quickly as possible.
We assess over 2000 suspected stroke cases a year and around 1000 transient ischaemic attacks (TIA) sometimes called mini strokes.
What happens if you have a stroke?
If you suspect you or someone else has stroke symptoms call 999. Ambulance paramedics are trained in stroke and will take you to the nearest specialist hospital for specialist treatment.
The Royal Victoria infirmary currently covers both the Newcastle and Gateshead area and parts of Northumberland.
When you first arrive you will be assessed and have relevant tests to confirm if you have had a stroke and make sure you receive the right emergency treatment. The quicker your stroke is diagnosed and treated, the better your recovery will be.
Brain scans and tests
The Stroke team carry out assessments and arrange imaging to confirm a stroke. During your stay they will carry out tests and checks for health problems that could cause a stroke, such as high blood pressure and irregular heart rhythms. Treatment is then given for these conditions to reduce the chances of having another stroke.
You should have a brain scan quickly after symptoms start. If possible this should be within an hour of arriving at hospital.
Commonly the initial (CT) scan is done to rule out a bleed and determine if this is likely a clot.
There are a few types of scan used:
- A computed tomography or CT scan
- A computed tomography Angiography or CTA
- A computed tomography perfusion scanor CTP
- A magnetic resonance imaging or MRI scan
The results of your brain scan will help us identify what may have caused your stroke. This is so you get the right emergency treatment.
Hyper acute stroke unit
A 28 bedded stroke unit, with a hyper acute assessment bay managed by a team of stroke specialist nurses.
The specialist nurses triage paramedic pre alerts along with other referrals and arrange direct admission to the HASU.
We will
- Provide rapid specialist assessment, and scans
- Arrange urgent brain imaging, for example CT scan, CT angiogram, CTP and MRI scan in less than one hour of arrival where appropriate, utilising AI to aid interpretation.
- Initiate urgent tests, such as bloods and ECG
- Initiate urgent tests, such as bloods and ECG.
- 24/7 access to thrombolysis (“clot busting”) treatment for ischaemic strokes who arrive in less than four and a half hours of the stroke or with advanced imaging. ï® Assess patients for mechanical thrombectomy – where the clot in the brain is surgically removed.
