Establishing an effective stroke treatment network.

Home Destination Da Nang Stroke poses a significant challenge to healthcare due to its sudden onset, rapid progression, and severe consequences. Therefore, effective treatment depends not only on the expertise and advanced techniques available at hospitals, but also on the ability to recognize symptoms, access to emergency services, and seamless coordination and collaboration among healthcare facilities.

Doctors at the Stroke Department ( Da Nang Hospital) check the health of a patient. Photo: LE HUNG The golden time for stroke treatment. According to Dr.

Duong Quang Hai, Deputy Head of the Stroke Department (Da Nang Hospital), the unit treats nearly 6,000 stroke cases annually. The "golden time" for stroke treatment depends on many factors. However, for thrombolytic therapy (the treatment window), it is approximately 4.5 hours, and for cerebrovascular intervention to remove blood clots, it is 24 hours (previously about 6 hours).

That's the "window" for treatment, but the sooner patients are brought to the hospital, the higher the success rate of treatment. Because without timely emergency care and treatment, with each passing minute, patients lose approximately 1.9 million brain cells. “Many cases initially have mild symptoms, so patients are complacent and try folk remedies at home such as scraping the skin or pricking the fingertips...

Because they are not treated promptly and according to proper principles, patients' conditions worsen, leading to serious brain damage. By the time they are brought to the hospital, patients have passed the ‘window period,’ making treatment much more difficult and less effective,” said Dr.

Duong Quang Hai. Recognizing that every minute saved represents an additional chance of recovery for stroke patients, in addition to standardizing emergency and treatment procedures, Da Nang Hospital regularly exchanges expertise with the city's Emergency Center to develop a faster response rate from outside the hospital...

"Each year, we treat 200-300 cases of thrombolysis and revascularization, and perform thrombectomy with devices for 300-400 cases of large cerebral vascular occlusions. Cases brought in early during the 'golden hour' and with timely treatment indications have a very high success rate," said Dr.

Duong Quang Hai. Creating connections between healthcare facilities. According to the leaders of Da Nang Hospital, the unit is collaborating with the emergency center and medical facilities in the city, as well as neighboring provinces, to build a network for early notification of stroke cases.

When stroke patients are brought to lower-level medical facilities or contacted by the emergency center, they will be connected and notified to Da Nang Hospital. After initial treatment, the patient is quickly transported to Da Nang Hospital as soon as possible. During this time, the medical team prepares and is ready to receive the patient in the emergency room, shortening procedures and making the most of every minute and second to provide emergency care.

“Each year, we organize about 10 training courses for staff at hospitals, regional health centers, and health stations on identifying and managing stroke patients; safe patient referral and transport. In addition, we also visit health units in remote areas to provide training and technology transfer; and we are ready to connect with medical facilities, provide advice, and offer 24/7 support on procedures and emergency management of stroke,” added Dr.

Duong Quang Hai. According to Dr. Le Duc Nhan, Director of Da Nang Hospital, improving the quality of stroke treatment cannot rely solely on the capacity of a single hospital, but requires synchronized and continuous coordination among healthcare facilities throughout the network.

Primary healthcare plays a crucial role in early detection, identifying warning signs, initial management, and timely referral to higher-level hospitals. “Medical facilities need to conduct assessments, provide emergency care, and offer treatment appropriate to their professional capabilities, while coordinating closely with higher-level facilities.

Da Nang Hospital will continue to play its role as a tertiary hospital, strengthening specialized treatment, inter-hospital consultations, providing professional support, and training for units within the network,” said Dr. Le Duc Nhan. According to Dr.

Tran Thanh Thuy, Director of the Department of Health, the crucial value of building a stroke treatment network lies in creating connections between medical facilities, allowing the professional capabilities of each unit to be more effectively utilized within a unified system. When facilities coordinate well, referral procedures are implemented promptly, and patient information is fully exchanged, access to appropriate treatment is improved, thereby contributing to reduced mortality and minimized sequelae for patients.

"Besides developing the capabilities of hospitals with specialized expertise, improving the ability to identify and provide initial treatment at healthcare facilities is also crucial. Each link in the system plays a unique role, and effective coordination between these links will create the overall quality of the entire network," emphasized Dr.

Tran Thanh Thuy. According to doctors, signs of a stroke include: facial paralysis (paralysis of one side of the face, drooping mouth); paralysis of one arm or leg; speech disorders, difficulty speaking, inability to pronounce words, etc. If you notice someone exhibiting any of these signs, you should quickly contact the city's Emergency Center or take the patient to a medical facility as soon as possible for timely treatment, increasing the chances of recovery, limiting complications, and reducing the risk of death.