Updated: Thursday, July 3 2014, 10:10 AM CDT A stroke can hit anyone suddenly, and, if they symptoms aren't recognized quickly, and the patient doesn't get to the hospital soon, a stroke can result in death. But, with the right treatment and the right amount of time, doctors can save stroke victims. That's where a new, first-of-its-kind ambulance in Houston comes in. Patients can get immediate treatment for symptoms of a stroke, before even getting to the hospital. This is the first ambulance of its kind in the United States. Once on scene, Memorial Hermann Neurologist Dr. James Grotta examines the patient and quickly gets them into the ambulance where a portable CT scanner will take a picture of their brain. "If someone is having a stroke they only way I am going to know if that is a stroke due to bleeding or due to a blocked artery is by doing a C-T scan," says Dr. Grotta. The mobile stroke unit has been responding to calls for about two months, and has already been credited with saving lives. 30-year-old Maureen Osaka was the first patient saved. "I can't move this leg, then I feel like I am falling apart. … Continue reading →

HOUSTON - A first of its kind ambulance in the United States,the UTHealth mobile stroke unit, in partnership with Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, is now on the streets of Houston. The ambulance is sent only to medical emergencies where the patient needs immediate treatment for symptoms of a stroke. Once on scene, Dr. James C. Grotta, director of stroke research in the Clinical Institute for Research & Innovation at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, examines the patients and quickly gets them into the specialized ambulance, where a portable CT scanner will take a picture of the patient's brain. Within minutes, Dr. Grotta will know whether the patient will need special drugs to prevent brain damage. "I can give the clot-busting medicine right there to dissolve the blood clot to make the patient better, or if they're having bleeding I can lower the blood pressure right away," said Dr. Grotta, M.D., director of stroke research in the Clinical Institute for Research & Innovation at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. The mobile stroke unit has been responding to calls for about two months and already is credited with saving lives. "I'm 30, how can I have a stroke at this time? I never thought … Continue reading →

'Rehabilitation robots' are being trialled at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle University The machines, developed by MIT, work by supporting a patients arm and letting them move it between targets on a computer screen Patients receive as much help as they need form the robot to build up their strength and improve their coordination Stroke victims report seeing improvements with just a few sessions By Sarah Griffiths Published: 10:53 EST, 3 July 2014 | Updated: 12:39 EST, 3 July 2014 Robots (pictured) are helping stroke victims to regain the use of their arms Robots are helping stroke victims to regain the use of their arms. The machines work by supporting a patients arm and letting them move it between targets on a computer screen, to build up their strength and improve their coordination. Rehabilitation robots, which have been seen in a number of studies are being taken more and more seriously, with a major trial underway at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle University. The stroke patient sits at a table facing a computer screen and places their arm on to the robotic device. A therapist then asks the patient to undertake some arm exercises, such as … Continue reading →