"Ship and Drip" Success Story

Here’s an excellent example of what happens when Oklahoma’s rural facilities and the INTEGRIS Stroke Center of Oklahoma collaborate! At 0800 on December 30, 2005 Mr. Sweeney, a 67-year-old gentleman who lives in rural Oklahoma, was cooking breakfast for Janell, his wife. He dropped an egg, bent over to pick it up, and noticed his left arm was “acting funny.”  When he stood up, he got dizzy. He took a couple of aspirin and sat down at the kitchen table. His wife entered the room and immediately noticed that something was very wrong. She recognized the signs and symptoms of a stroke. She put her husband into the car to drive him into Shawnee hospital.  Janell called Shawnee ER and informed them they were on their way and did they have “that drug” for stroke.

Mr. Sweeney presented to Shawnee’s ER with (L) sided facial droop, dysarthria, (L) arm weakness and (L) leg weakness and ataxia. Dr. Cable at Shawnee consulted with our medical director, Dr. Charles Morgan, and it was decided that Mr. Sweeney was an excellent candidate for the TPA. He received his clot-buster drug at Shawnee ER just 2 hours and 15 minutes from the onset of his stroke symptoms. Arrangements were made and he was emergently transferred to ISMC Stroke Center of Oklahoma in OKC. He received national standard of care in our ER, with an NIHSS of 11 upon arrival. He was transferred to our ICU and subsequently to the 5th floor stroke unit. He was discharged from the stroke unit with an NIHSS score of 0. During his stay in our ICU and stroke unit, he received speech therapy and physical/occupational therapy were consulted. Mr. Sweeney dramatically improved in his stroke recovery and was discharged from physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy services. He was sent home six days after the onset of his stroke symptoms, with barely discernable lack of coordination in his left hand. He is anxious to return to work and his busy life with his family and grandchildren! Mr. Sweeney and his entire family were very grateful for the excellent care they received. Mr. Sweeney stated "I'd rather be dead than crippled."

We’ve enjoyed the stories of our own INTEGRIS Southwest Medical Center Emergency Department  Code Stroke team’s role in giving TPA emergently to stroke survivors who have come through our busy ER door. It is a rewarding and humbling experience says our Stroke Coordinator, Leigh Ann Morrill, RN. We have many examples of our role in those successful stories of our own TPA recipients. Now, it is crucial for the INTEGRIS Stroke Center of Oklahoma to continue to work with Oklahoma’s rural hospitals in giving TPA; the national standard of care for acute ischemic stroke. Our ability to be emergently available to our rural facilities to assist is providing excellence in stroke care, allows Oklahomans to survive stroke and possibly, as Mr. Sweeney  can tell you, return to work and life, grateful and with fewer neurological deficits.