A new assessment and treatment pathway will help stroke sufferers get treatment faster in Marlborough. St John, the Nelson Marlborough and West Coast district health boards have worked together to develop a fast track pathway for suspected stroke patients. As soon as St John ambulance officers in Marlborough suspect that a patient has suffered a stroke, they will alert the Emergency Department in Wairau Hospital who will then be ready to receive the patient on arrival and put priority on their assessment and treatment. St John Marlborough territory manager Murray Neal said that if a stroke was suspected, and the patient could be delivered to hospital within 3.5 hours of developing symptoms, they were classified as status 2, or serious. "It's important that they get to definitive treatment as quickly as possible, and that might mean utilising air transport where appropriate, including a rescue helicopter." St John district operations Tasman manager James McMeekin said the stroke pathway was vitally important. Stroke was the third leading cause of death in New Zealand, and 65,000 New Zealanders required significant daily care after suffering a stroke, he said. The pathway begins with ambulance officers assessing a suspected stroke sufferer. "If a stroke is … Continue reading →

Dave and Brenda Griffin back home in Dunedin. Photo by Linda Robertson. A stroke doesn't have to mean the end of everything Stroke survivor Dave Griffin and his wife Brenda travelled to Los Angeles for treatment that has given his rehabilitation a big boost. Reporter Eileen Goodwin spoke to the couple recently. A Dunedin man thought to be the first New Zealander to undergo innovative stroke treatment in the United States believes it has improved his speech and walking, while reducing fatigue and pain. Dave Griffin (55) and wife Brenda went to Los Angeles for a procedure using etanercept, returning last month. It was not a cure, but had improved his muscle flexibility, and he was now able to walk without dragging his right foot. ''This man hasn't stopped smiling since we got back,'' Mrs Griffin said. The trip home was much easier than the trip there because of Mr Griffin's improved mobility. He had the stroke in December 2012, and the couple just wish he had had the treatment sooner. Mrs Griffin said the treatment put her husband in a good position for further rehabilitation. She believed Mr Griffin was the first New Zealander to receive etanercept for stroke. … Continue reading →

Top 16 Safe Alzheimer Stem Cell Therapy Options Worldwide The cure for Alzheimer's has not yet been found, yet, the miraculous stem cells have been effective in treating the symptoms of the disease and re-establishing neural connections. Available... By: placidways … Continue reading →