FAST acting stroke unit is ‘essential’

Last month staff at the unit hosted an information event within the hospital.

Cavan General Hospital deals with around two to three hundred patients a year with symptoms of stroke. They come from all walks of life, young and old, and regardless of their respective backgrounds, the recovery time can vary dramatically

FAST (Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties and Time) is the widely known acronym used to alert people to a potential stroke victim and the importance of a quick medical response. But staff at Cavan General Hospital’s stroke unit are anxious that such awareness spreads further, not just within medical ranks but also the community.

Last month staff at the unit hosted an information event within the hospital, bringing together representatives from all the various disciplines required to assist a stroke survivor in their recovery - radiology, speech and language, occupation therapy, physiotherapy, nursing care, and other allied health professionals.

Sarah Smith is a clinical nurse specialist at Cavan-Monaghan Hospital Group working within the stroke unit. Based in Cavan, she explains it’s not just about treating stroke patients as they arrive, but there is a myriad of additional supports necessary to ensure proper aftercare is administered.

“There is a huge team involved, multi-disciplinary, it’s not just here in the hospital but also in the community. A stroke can have a huge impact on a person’s life, can impact hugely their daily living. It really does vary. Sometimes you have people who have symptoms maybe for an hour, and others whose life is changed completely, either through loss of speech or even paralysis.”

Dr John Corrigan is the clinical lead and consultant in the hospital’s stroke unit. He describes the collective expertise contained as “essential”.

“If you’ve had a stroke the best place for you to be in a hospital, certainly a stroke unit. A stroke is something that comes on quickly but goes away slowly. Some are gone in minutes, others take years and may not go away completely.”

Dr Corrigan estimates there are between three to four “FAST positive” cases reported in Cavan per week, adding that stroke not just a “very serious condition” but increasingly “prevalent”.

He points to the importance of the hospital hosting information events for staff, saying: “It’s all about raising awareness. We on the stroke unit are all trained to manage strokes, but the doctors and medical staff on the next ward will not be just as clued in. So we want them to know, if a stroke occurs in ED or maybe along the corridor, what action to take, that everyone knows there’s something that can be done, and how to activate the stroke team. The important thing to know is it can be treated, but time is of the essence, and we need to get people in quickly to treat them. The sooner someone can come into hospital after the onset of symptoms, the more likely they are to make a good recovery.”

Laura Waters, director of operations at Cavan General, says information events also provide a level of “recognition” to each person’s role in the care of patients who have suffered stroke.

“It’s important that different therapies are aware what their counterparts are doing within the service, and to create a general awareness within the hospital community and further afield of the work that takes place.

“There are so many different therapies involved when it comes to stroke care and they’re all of equal importance when it comes to aiding a person’s recovery.”