America’s ERs struggle with timely care for stroke patients

(By Bree Iskandar for STAT)

In the world of stroke care, time is everything. At stroke onset, a clot or ruptured blood vessel interrupts blood flow to the brain. Within minutes, brain cells starved of oxygen and nutrients begin to die. Every additional second that passes without blood flow increases the chance that the brain suffers irreparable damage, leading to permanent disability. With enough time, strokes become fatal, and sadly this is not uncommon. Nearly 800,000 Americans die from stroke every year nationwide, making it the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. Continue reading here…

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