Central Peninsula Hospital | Pulse | Spring 2021

PULSE is published as a community service for the friends and patrons of Central Peninsula Hospital, 250 Hospital Place, Soldotna, AK 99669, phone 907-714-4404 , website cpgh.org . CEO: Rick Davis Marketing Manager: Camille Sorensen Information in PULSE comes from a wide range of medical experts. Models may be used in photos and illustrations. If you have any concerns or questions about specific content that may affect your health, please contact your health care provider. If you wish to be removed from the mailing list, please call 907-714-4600 or email marketing@cpgh.org . 2021 © Coffey Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Central Peninsula Hospital and its clinics (collectively “CPH”) comply with applicable Federal civil rights laws and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Translation and other services are available to you, free of charge by calling this number: 907-714-4404 . Don’t delay: Get help for a stroke A S T F If you suspect you or someone else is having a stroke, think F.A.S.T. Why F.A.S.T? Because the word is an acronym for an easy way to remember some of the signs and symptoms of stroke and when to get medical help: Face drooping. Armweakness. Speech difficulty. Time to call 911— F.A.S.T also reminds you that stroke is an emergency, and you need to get help quickly. Why do you need help quickly? A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is inter- rupted, either by a clot or by a ruptured blood vessel. As soon as blood flow is blocked, cells in the brain start to die because they aren’t getting the oxygen and blood they need to survive. Dead brain cells can’t be brought back to life. Damage from the most common type of stroke of- ten can be stopped by a medication called Alteplase IV r-tPA, which can bust open a clot. But the medication must be given within a three-hour window (or up to four and a half hours for certain patients). To leave time for evaluation and diagnosis, someone having a stroke must get to a hospital within 60 minutes of when they first started having symptoms. Additional signs and symptoms In addition to the F.A.S.T. symptoms, other signs of stroke can include: ● Sudden severe headache with no known cause. ● Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body. ● Sudden confusion. ● Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes. ● Sudden dizziness, trouble walking, or loss of bal- ance or coordination. If you experience any of these signs or symptoms of a stroke—or spot them in someone else—call 911. Remember: Stroke is a medical emergency. Sources: American Stroke Association; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke PULSE Spring 2021 7