Neurology and Neurosurgery
What is Stroke?
Stroke is a type of cardiovascular disease that affects the arteries
leading to and within the brain. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that
carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts.
When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs,
so it starts to die. This can begin to happen within minutes.
Although dead brain tissue can not be saved, quick medical care can minimize the
area of damage.
Stroke is a medical emergency. If you or a loved one is having a stroke, call 911.
Those who arrive at a hospital quickly may be eligible for treatment options that may reverse or minimize the effects of stroke. Time is critical in the treatment of stroke patient.
Additional Information About Stroke
Caring for Stroke Patients
At the core of the Inova
Fairfax Hospital stroke services program is the stroke response team, comprised
of our Stroke Response Nurses, cerebrovascular coverage neurologists, emergency
department physicians, staff and an interventional neuroradiology team. Stroke
is a medical emergency and this team provides both the critical early response
and the ongoing quality care that can make all the difference in the recovery of
our stroke patients.
Our stroke team works collaboratively with the emergency department staff and physicians so that treatment can begin even before the patient arrives at the hospital. The team collaborates with EMS personnel for prompt, coordinated interventions and is composed of acute stroke physicians and nurses certified by the National Institutes of Health. Our approach to medical care extends to both patients and their families, from the time the patient enters the emergency department to their re-entry into the community.
Primary Stroke Center Designation
Inova Fairfax Hospital
is certified as a Primary Stroke
Center by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare
Organizations (JCAHO). This prestigious designation recognizes centers
that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care, provide
services with critical elements for long-term success in improving outcomes, and
manage quality of care effectively to meet the unique and specialized needs of
stroke patients. By recognizing selected medical facilities like Inova
Fairfax Hospital for their advanced stroke care, the JCAHO designation helps the
public identify which hospitals offer the best possible outcomes for stroke
patients.
- What is the Nervous System?
- Anatomy of the Brain
- Diagnostic Tests: Neurological Disorders
- Brain Tumors
- Neurocutaneous Syndrome
- Parkinson's Disease
- Pituitary Tumors
- Acromegaly
- Hypopituitarism
- Diabetes Insipidus
- Cushing's Disease
- Neurological Surgery
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Cerebral Aneurysm
- Stroke
- Acute Spinal Cord Injury
- Epilepsy and Seizures
- Lumbar Disc Disease
- Meningitis
