Indian hospitals need to set up an interventional stroke unit in their premises considering huge growth in this disease segment. This is because the key challenge in India for stroke management is the lack of awareness about this condition unlike cardiac issues or hypertension. Also, every hospital does not have a specialized stroke unit or interventional cath lab in their premises to administer the required treatment, said Sanjay Adhikari, business development manager, Image-Guided Therapy, Philips India.
 
Brain stroke accounts for the third largest fatality cause in India after heart attack and cancer. Neuro stroke experts say that awareness and immediate medical attention can save the life of a person suffering a stroke and paralysis. The first step in assessing a stroke patient is to determine whether the patient is experiencing an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke so that the correct treatment can begin.
 
Now Phillips with its Live Image Guidance expects to transform the diagnosis of stroke. We would help hospitals in setting up stroke units and provide the interventional neurosuite system. However, it is equally important to create awareness about stroke and urge people to get regular check-ups for possible early signs. If anybody gets a stroke, he should be immediately transported to the nearest hospital without losing time for treatment, he stated.
 
Now CT imaging is a gold standard modality in diagnosis of any stroke incident. But live image guidance system has transformed the diagnosis of stroke in an interventional neuro suite with next gen technology like the 16 bit HDR detector and superior processing capabilities generates the excellent soft tissue imaging which help in diagnosis of stroke in neuro suite. While Xper CT generates excellent soft tissue imaging which might help in diagnosis of haemorrhagic stroke, VasoCT provides accurate delineation of obstructed vessel segments in acute ischemic stroke disease by injecting the contrast in vein. It gives a significant help in the interventional strategy for endovascular stroke therapy.
 
Now this equipment is effective for those patients who reach the hospital within the golden hour. Only Ischemic Stroke can be treated in interventional neurosuite by removing the clot from blocked vessel under the live fluoro guidance. Although there are similar clot removal devices and image guidance cath labs available globally, the stroke treatment outcome depends upon how fast the patient reaches the hospital after the incident. Some of the hospitals in India which have dedicated units adhere to global standard protocols for stroke diagnosis and treatment supported by a team of related experts to provide the faster care, said Adhikari.