Brain Health

Call Volume to GCBS Stroke Call Center up 200%

INDIANAPOLIS (June 8, 2018)—Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine’s Stroke Call Center received 378 calls from physicians in emergency rooms, ICUs, and transfer centers across the state in the first three months of 2018, an increase of approximately 200 percent year-over-year.

Staffed by the practice’s four neuro-interventionalists, the Stroke Call Center is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The always on-call physicians work with referring neurologists and emergency room physicians to triage cases and make recommendations on possible interventional therapy for stroke.

“At Methodist Hospital (a designated Comprehensive Stroke Center), for example, we are paged every time a stroke presents to the ER,” said Dr. Andrew DeNardo, one of Goodman Campbell’s interventional neuroradiologists. “We listen to the clinical history and review the vascular imaging in order to confirm the diagnosis and recommend a course of action.”

Goodman Campbell’s Indianapolis-based Stroke Call Center is the only round-the-clock option in Indiana. Calls are received from across the entire state and as far away as Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.

Dr. DeNardo thinks much of the increase in call volume is related to an increased awareness of the symptoms of a stroke and newer interventional stroke treatments which may save the patient from devastating neurological injury. (See Identifying Stroke information below.) 

The neuro-interventional physicians at Goodman Campbell are subspecialists in the field of endovascular therapy. This therapy uses X-ray imaging to guide a catheter through the blood vessels to infuse clot-busting medications or use a small device to restore blood flow in a brain artery.

Recent clinical trials such as DAWN and DEFUSE 3 showed that certain patients who are at risk for a very large stroke may be successfully treated for up to 24 hours after they develop their initial symptoms. This is an appreciably longer window of time for treatment than the previous standard of three to six hours, which also has led to more calls regarding possible intervention.

Dr. DeNardo anticipates more than 1,500 calls by the end of the year, and possibly even more as the new 24-hour guidelines are implemented.

“The results of the DAWN Trial were groundbreaking. With the increasing validity of a wider range of endovascular treatment options, we can significantly reduce the chances of disability for more patients,” said Dr. DeNardo.

He estimates that Goodman Campbell is able to help about 50 percent of patient cases being considered for emergency transfer. In these instances, patients are transferred to the campus of IU Health Methodist Hospital or St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis for treatment by Goodman Campbell.

Goodman Campbell’s neuro-interventional team has more than 65 years of combined experience diagnosing and treating conditions such as stroke, brain aneurysms, blood vessel malformations, carotid artery narrowing, and highly vascular tumors of the brain, neck, and spine without an open surgical procedure.

“At Goodman Campbell, we do things other groups don’t even think to do. Nobody else can provide this level of diagnostic, cognitive, and therapeutic care in addition to needed surgical interventions,” DeNardo said.

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Identifying Stroke

There is saying in medicine: “After a stroke, time equals brain.” This means that the faster the response, the more brain function which can be saved. But strokes aren’t always obvious when they happen. That’s why it helps to remember FAST. It’s a small acronym that can make a big difference. It stands for:

  • Face drooping
  • Arm weakness
  • Speech difficulty
  • Time to call 911 

When you recognize any of these symptoms, either in yourself or a loved one, it’s time to call for help right away. Thanks to efforts aimed at early identification and treatment, stroke has dropped from the fourth to the fifth leading cause of death in the United States.

About Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine

Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine is one of North America’s largest and most progressive neurosurgical practices, dedicated to advancing the health of adults and children with neurological disorders. Its physicians provide a full spectrum of care for disorders of the brain, spine, and nerves including brain aneurysms and tumors, pituitary disorders, trigeminal neuralgia, spinal disorders, and degenerative spine disease.

 Goodman Campbell neurosurgeons also are some of the most respected medical and scientific researchers in the world. The practice has developed innovative techniques, increased the success rates of proven treatments, and provided ongoing advanced training for the next generation of neurosurgeons, both in the classroom and the operating room. For more information, visit GoodmanCampbell.com.

To find out more about Goodman Campbell’s Stroke Call Center, endovascular therapy, including thrombectomies and intra-arterial rTPA, or to schedule an interview with one of our other neuro-interventionalists, contact: 

Lisa Vielee
Well Done Marketing
317-979-4424
lisa@welldonemarketing.com

Request an appointment online and we will guide you through the next steps.