Free public lecture on stroke prevention and treatment UHL

A free public lecture on services available to stroke patients at University Hospital Limerick takes place on Tuesday, May 22nd (6pm) at the Clinical Education and Research Centre.
 
The series of lectures forms part of UL Hospitals Healthy Ireland programme, which commits the group to greater public engagement and more educational events.
 
Speakers on the evening are to include:
 
·         Mr Michael Joy, Patient experience
·         Dr Margaret O’Connor, Consultant Geriatrician and Stroke Lead, UL Hospitals Group
·         Ms  Nora Cunningham, Advanced Nurse Practitioner Stroke, University Hospital Limerick
·         Ms Deirdre Devers, Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist Stroke, University Hospital Limerick

Members of the public who attend the lecture will leave with a better understanding of what to expect of stroke services UHL and also prevention strategies for the future stroke.
 
“Having a stroke is a devastating experience, the impact of which could be significantly reduced by public awareness of the disease and its treatment options including primary prevention, in patient acute management and secondary prevention” said Ms Cunningham
 
 

Stroke is the third-largest killer in Ireland and the most common cause of acquired, serious physical disability. About 10,000 strokes happen here every year - that's more than one stroke happening every hour. Yet only half of the population would call 999 in the event of a stroke.

There are approximately 400 new strokes every year admitted to University Hospital Limerick. 1 in 4 of these is under the age of 65 years.
Until recently many people, including doctors, believed little or nothing could be done following a stroke. We now know strokes are very treatable and, if the right actions are taken quickly, the patient may not have any long term effects.
Treatment depends on whether the stroke is caused by a blockage in your artery (ischaemic stroke) or bleeding into your brain (haemorrhagic stroke). Some ischaemic strokes can be treated by thrombolysis, a clot-busting drug aimed to dissolve the blood clot with powerful blood thinners.

This drug treatment is only effective if received within 4.5 hours of your stroke starting. This is why it is so important to get to hospital immediately because the more time passes the less effective it is.

Mechanical thrombectomy is a new form of stroke treatment where the blood clot can be removed and allow blood to flow back to the affected area of the brain. This procedure will definitely change the nature of stroke treatment. Both medical professionals and the public must be aware of the treatment, and the urgency with which patients must be treated.
 
 
The average stroke kills two million brain cells every minute while about 2,000 people die from it here every year. One in five people will have a stroke in their lifetime.

What is a stroke?
So, what exactly happens when a stroke hits? A stroke is a brain attack. It happens when there is an interruption in blood flow to a part of the brain caused by a clot blocking a vessel or when a blood vessel bursts causing a bleed. If a stroke damages part of the brain controlling movement, this can affect a person's ability to move an arm or leg afterwards.

A stroke is a medical emergency that can happen without warning. This is why it is vital for everyone to know the signs of stroke. Most strokes happen to those who are over 65, but stroke can strike at any age. Even young people and children can be affected.

The Irish Heart Foundation's FAST campaign makes stroke symptoms easy to remember:
F is for Facial Weakness - can the person smile?
A is for Arm Weakness - can the person raise both arms?
S is for Speech problems - can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
T is for Time - Time to call 999 if you spot any of these signs
Time is Brain!
 
Risk factors for stroke
• High blood pressure
• Smoking
• Physical inactivity
• High cholesterol
• Being overweight
• Poor diet
• Diabetes
• Too much alcohol
• Age
• Family history
• Other medical conditions
 
“Research and advances in stroke medicine has revolutionized a new era for stroke treatment. It was previously thought that strokes can receive acute treatment for up to 4.5 hours, although this is still true but now wake up strokes are considered for treatment options” said Ms Cunningham.
 
Prof Colette Cowan, CEO, UL Hospitals Group, has encouraged members of the public to attend next Tuesday night.
 
“Our Healthy Ireland strategy identifies a need to engage more with the public around health promotion and prevention of stroke. Conditions like stroke, with the right education around awareness and prevention will reduce the incidence of stroke. There is an emphasis in Healthy Ireland around hospital avoidance and looking after our own physical and mental health and wellbeing. But those who attend next week’s lecture will also learn about the excellent work being done in the Group across all disciplines and will leave reassured that excellent specialist care is there for them when do have to come in to hospital,” Prof Cowan said.
 
*The CERC Building is located adjacent to the new Emergency Department/Critical Care Block at UHL. For ease of access, please use car parks 2 and 3 if arriving by car.