Baptist Union County emphasizes Stroke Awareness Month

Quickly recognizing the signs of stroke and getting immediate treatment is the message Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County (BMHUC) is emphasizing during May.

May is National Stroke Awareness Month.

Dr. Robert Pitcock, the Medical Director of Emergency Medicine at BMHUC, says getting to the emergency room quickly is of utmost importance if someone is experiencing stroke symptoms.

“Fast treatment helps avoid tragic outcomes – death or severe disability – if someone is having a stroke,” Dr. Pitcock says. “Delay in seeking treatment is never advisable.”

He is especially concerned that people may hesitate going to the emergency room because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He emphasizes that BMHUC may be among the safest places one could be, so far as virus exposure is concerned. Everyone who enters the hospital is screened for possible COVID-19 symptoms. “Anyone who enters the hospital with COVID-19 risk factors is seen in separate exam rooms, isolated from where patients with stroke symptoms are seen,” Dr. Pitcock says.

“If you come in with stroke symptoms, we may immediately do a head CT scan to diagnose whether you may be having a hemorrhagic stroke or an ischemic stroke,” he says. A hemorrhagic stroke is where an artery begins bleeding into the brain. The more common type of stroke is an ischemic stroke, usually caused when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain.

If a patient is suffering from a stroke, determining which type and quickly using the correct medicines and procedures will assure a better outcome.

During National Stroke Awareness Month Baptist Hospital emphasizes the slogan “B.E.F.A.S.T.” It stands for:

B. Balance: Is the potential stroke victim unsteady?
E. Eyes: Do they have vision problems in one or both eyes?
F. Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side droop?
A. Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one side droop?
S. Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?
T. Time. If you observe any of these signs, call 911 immediately.

Dr. Pitcock emphasized that the ambulance crew from the hospital can often report information in transit that allows the proper treatment to start immediately.

The risk of long-term disability can be significantly reduced when treatment is started quickly. So, if you think someone is having a stroke, B.E.F.A.S.T.

About Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County

Baptist Union County offers a variety of services, including adult and pediatric inpatient care, maternity, surgery, a 24-hour emergency department and diagnostics. The hospital also has 3D mammography, TeleHealth services and an eICU. Baptist Union County has an excellent reputation for providing quality care and recently earned an “A” Safety Grade from the Leapfrog Group. Most notably, Baptist Union County earned five stars from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for the hospital’s quality, outcomes, safety and patient satisfaction. The Chartis Center for Rural Health also recognized the hospital as one of the Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals in the country.
For more information about Baptist Union County, please call 662-538-7631 or visit unioncounty.baptistonline.org.