Recognized for Improving the Quality of Stroke Medical Services
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Daedong Hospital achieved a first-grade rating in the ‘9th Acute Stroke Appropriateness Evaluation’ announced by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service on the 29th of last month.
The ‘Acute Stroke Appropriateness Evaluation’ has been conducted by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service since 2006 to provide rapid and high-quality medical services to stroke patients.
Stroke is a disease in which blood vessels supplying nutrients to the brain are blocked or ruptured, causing damage to the brain.
When the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain are blocked, causing brain cells to die, it is called ‘cerebral infarction’ or ‘ischemic stroke,’ accounting for about 87% of all strokes.
On the other hand, when blood vessels rupture causing bleeding, it is called ‘cerebral hemorrhage’ or ‘hemorrhagic stroke.’
The brain tissue around the hemorrhage is destroyed, and the pressure in the brain increases due to the hematoma, which can cause various problems.
Stroke symptoms vary depending on the location and extent of the damage, but representative symptoms include severe headache like being hit with a hammer, severe dizziness, visual disturbances such as loss of vision in one eye or seeing multiple objects, speech impairment such as slurred speech, and sudden unilateral paralysis.
A sudden onset of symptoms is characteristic of stroke, and if promptly responded to and appropriately treated in the early stages, death and aftereffects can be reduced.
This evaluation was conducted on 233 tertiary general hospitals and general hospitals with more than 10 patients admitted through the emergency room within 7 days of symptom onset due to acute stroke from October 2020 to March 2021.
A total of 132 medical institutions received a first-grade rating through the 9th evaluation, which is 11 fewer institutions compared to the 8th evaluation.
The evaluation was based on a total of nine items, including the presence of specialized personnel and operation of stroke intensive care units, the treatment process evaluating brain imaging tests, thrombolytic agent administration, early rehabilitation assessment, swallowing disorder screening rate, and the treatment outcome area evaluating the incidence of pneumonia during hospitalization.
Daedong Hospital, which has been steadily striving to improve the quality of medical services for regional stroke emergency patients by operating a regional emergency medical center since 2019, achieved a first-grade rating for the first time in this evaluation.
Through the Cerebrovascular Center composed of medical staff from neurosurgery, neurology, emergency medicine, rehabilitation medicine, radiology, and anesthesiology and pain medicine, Daedong Hospital operates a 24-hour advanced collaborative system to provide specialized stroke treatment services from diagnosis and treatment to rehabilitation, receiving favorable reviews from local residents.
Kim Byung-jin, head of the Cerebrovascular Center at Daedong Hospital (neurosurgery specialist), said, “The golden time to save stroke patients is within 3 hours,” adding, “Rather than being satisfied with this evaluation result, we will take this as an opportunity to reinforce the latest equipment, systems, and specialized medical staff to provide higher quality medical services to regional stroke patients within the golden time, save lives, and become a regional hub hospital that offers one-stop medical services from diagnosis to rehabilitation.”
To prevent stroke, it is recommended to practice daily habits such as ▲quitting smoking ▲abstaining from or limiting alcohol consumption ▲low-sodium diet ▲nutritious meal planning ▲exercising for more than 30 minutes suitable for oneself ▲maintaining appropriate body weight ▲reducing stress ▲regularly measuring blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol ▲continuously treating underlying diseases ▲and visiting the hospital immediately if emergency symptoms occur.
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