By Islam Gomaa, MD
Emergency Medicine, Blanchard Valley Hospital
You may have heard the phrase “time is muscle,” which refers to being evaluated quickly for a heart attack in order to use a catheter to open a blocked blood vessel and prevent heart damage. Likewise, the same principle applies in the case of a stroke.
Strokes are caused by a blockage of an artery carrying oxygen to the brain. Prompt evaluation in many cases leads to the use of a thrombolytic or clot buster to open the blockage. The restoration of blood flow can allow prompt recovery of function of the brain and prevent permanent damage, paralysis or function.
