Strokes are one of the leading causes of death and disability. Dr. Dan Capampangan of the Mayo Clinic explains how to recognize and respond to symptoms of stroke and how the Mayo Clinic is using robots to help stroke patients in rural Arizona .
Ted Simons:MAY IS NATIONAL STROKE AWARENESS MONTH AND FOR GOOD REASON. THE AMERICAN HEART AND STROKE ASSOCIATIONS REPORT THAT STROKE IS THE NUMBER 4 KILLER IN THE UNITED STATES AND A LEADING CAUSE OF DISABILITY. HERE TO TELL US HOW TO RECOGNIZE AND RESPOND TO SYMPTOMS OF STROKE AND TO SHOW US HOW THE MAYO CLINIC IS USING ROBOTS TO HELP PATIENTS IN RURAL ARIZONA IS DR. DAN CAPAMPANGAN, AN ASSISTANTS PROFESSOR OF NEUROLOGY FOR THE MAYO CLINIC OF ARIZONA. GOOD TO SEE YOU HERE.
Dr. Capampangan: THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
Ted Simons: LET'S START WITH THE BASIC. WHAT IS STROKE?
Dr. Capampangan: SO STROKE IS A BRAIN ATTACK. WE HAVE ALL HEARD ABOUT HEART ATTACKS. SO STROKE IS A BRAIN ATTACK. IT'S A NEUROLOGICAL EMERGENCY. LIKE YOU SET, IT'S ALSO A LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AND DISABILITY. SO THAT'S WHY IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT THE SCIENCE AND -- SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STROKE. STROKE IS TYPICALLY DUE TO A BLOOD CLOT THAT FORMS IN ONE OF THE BLOOD VESSELS IN THE BRAIN THAT THERE BY PREVENTS BLOOD FLOW CARRYING OXYGEN AND NUTRIENT TO THAT THE BRAIN NEEDS. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE BRAIN CELLS DIE AND ULTIMATELY BRAIN DAMAGE ENSUES. SO LACK OF BLOOD FLOW, LACK OF OXYGEN TO THE BRAIN IS WHAT WE CALL AN ISCHEMIC STROKE. THE OTHER TYPE OF STROKE IS WHAT WE CALL A HEMORRHAGIC STROKE. THAT OCCURS WHEN ONE OF THE BLOOD VESSELS IN THE BRAIN RUPTURES AND BLOOD SEEPS OUT INTO THE BRAIN WHERE IT SHOULDN'T NORMALLY BE.
Ted Simons: TALK ABOUT WARNING SIGNS OF STROKE AND SYMPTOMS OF STROKE. I KNOW YOU HAVE AN ACRONYM FAST THAT YOU WANT PEOPLE TO BE AWARE OF. LET'S GO THROUGH THE F-A-S-T-
Dr. Capampangan: ABSOLUTELY. SO WHENEVER I TALK ABOUT STROKE AND THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS TO BE AWARE WITH, I WANT PEOPLE TO THINK AND ACT FAST. SOY FAST IS LIKE YOU SAID AN ACRONYM. SO F IS FACE. ASK THE PERSON TO SMILE. IS ONE OF THE SIDES OF THE FACE DROOPY? A IS ARMS. IS ONE SIDE OF THE ARMS WEAK OR NUMB? ASK THEM TO RAISE BOTH HANDS UP IN THE AIR. AND LOOK TO SEE IF ONE ARM DRIFTS DOWNWARD. S IS SPEECH. IS THEIR SPEECH SURED? ASK THEM TO REPEAT A SENTENCE, CAN THEY REPEAT IT BACK CORRECTLY? AND T IS TIME. IF YOU OR ANY OF YOUR LOVED ONES EXPERIENCE ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS, EVEN IF THEY GO AWAY, CALL 9-1-1. BECAUSE TIME IS BRAIN.
Ted Simons: AND THAT BRINGS US NOW TO WHAT THE MAYO CLINIC IS USING WITH THE ROBOTS TO TELL A STROKE SITUATION. TALK TO US ABOUT US BECAUSE TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE, ISN'T IT?
Dr. Capampangan: ABSOLUTELY. THE NETWORK THE MAYO CLINIC HAS IS WE ARE IN THE CONJUNCTION WITH AT LEAST 10 OTHER COMMUNITY HOSPITALS WITHIN THE STATE OF ARIZONA, AS WELL AS ONE OTHER HOSPITAL IN MISSOURI. NOW, THESE HOSPITALS SERVE THE UNDER SERVED, AND THEY ARE IN RURAL AREAS OF ARIZONA. THEY MAY NOT NECESSARILY HAVE ACCESS TO STROKE CARE. SO ENTER TELESTROKE. THE TELESTROKE PROGRAM ALLOWS STROKE NEUROLOGISTS LIKE MYSELF TO REMOTE ME LEE LOG IN THROUGH A TWO-WAY AUDIO VIDEO COMMUNICATION AND IN THIS CASE, IT'S A ROBOT WHERE WE CAN SEE AND EVALUATE, DIAGNOSE, AND POTENTIALLY TREAT PATIENTS WITH STROKE IN REAL TIME. NOW, YOU CAN JUST IMAGINE WHAT A BOON THIS MIGHT BE FOR THE PATIENTS IN THESE RURAL COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS WHO DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE ACCESS TO 24/7 NEUROLOGICAL AND STROKE CARE.
Ted Simons: NOT ONLY DOES THAT HELP THE PATIENT IN TERMS OF REHABILITATION AND TREATMENT AND GETTING ON THAT QUICKLY, COST EFFECTIVENESS IS FACTORED IN AS WELL. THIS DOES BRING DOWN, IN TERMS -- HOW DO YOU -- I'M KIND OF JUMPING AHEAD OF MYSELF. HOW DO YOU MEASURE OR QUANTITY QUALITY OF LIFE AND COST EFFECTIVENESS IN SOMETHING LIKE THIS?
Dr. Capampangan: SO QUALITY OF LIFE IS BASICALLY YOUR ABILITY WITH YOUR ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING, YOUR ABILITY TO WALK, TALK, TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, EAT ON YOUR OWN. AND WITH REGARDS TO COST EFFECTIVENESS I BELIEVE TELESTROKE IS VERY COST EFFECTIVENESS -- OR COST EFFECTIVE. THERE HAVE BEEN STUDIES PUBLISHED ON THE COST EFFECTIVENESS OF TELESTROKE. WITH TELESTROKE WE ARE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE AND POTENTIALLY TREAT PATIENTS WITH STROKE, THEREBY PREVENTING THEM FROM HAVING LONG TERM DISABILITY. AND LIKE YOU MENTIONED BEFORE, THAT STROKE IS A LEADING DISABILITY. IN THE UNITED STATES. AND IT COSTS A LOT TO PUT THESE PATIENTS INTO REHABILITATION.
Ted Simons: OK. SO THE COST EFFECTIVENESS IS THERE. THE REHABILITATION IS THERE. THE TREATMENT IS THERE. LET'S GET BACK TO STROKE. RISK FACTORS FOR STROKE.
Dr. Capampangan: I'M GLAD YOU ASKED ME ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I LIKE TO THINK ABOUT STROKE RISK FACTORS IN TWO GROUPS. ONES WE CAN MODIFY AND ONES WE CAN'T. ONES WE CAN'T ARE AGE. THE ELDERLY SEEM TO BE AT INCREASE THE RISK FOR STROKE. GENDER, MEN APPEAR TO BE AT INCREASE THE RISK FOR STROKE AS OPPOSED TO WOMEN. RACE, AFRICAN-AMERICANS ARE SUPPOSE AS OPPOSED TO CAUCASIANS ARE AT INCREASED RISK FOR STROKE AND CERTAIN GENETIC DISEASES ALSO HAVE THAT PREDISPOSITION. NOW, THE OTHER GROUP OF RISK FACTORS RIGHT ONES WE CAN MODIFY. SUCH AS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE OR HYPERTENSION. SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE CHECKED AND WORK WITH YOUR DOCTOR IF IT'S HIGH OR TO CONSIDER TAKING BLOOD PRESSURE MEDICATIONS OR JUST EATING HEALTHY AND MAINTAINING A GOOD EXERCISE REGIMEN. ANOTHER RISK FACTOR, THE ONES WE CAN MODIFY, IS WORKING, LOW CHOLESTEROL. EATING A LOW CHOLESTEROL DIET IF YOUR NUMBER IS HIGH, IF YOUR TOTAL CHOLESTEROL IS OVER 200 OR YOUR BAD CHOLESTEROL, YOUR LDL IS GREATER THAN 100, YOU SHOULD WORK WITH YOUR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN TO GET THAT NUMBER TREATED.
Ted Simons: WELL, WE GOT TO STOP YOU RIGHT THERE. THAT'S GREAT INFORMATION. TELESTROKE STUFF FOR RURAL ARIZONA IS VERY ENCOURAGING. CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT AND SHARING THIS INFORMATION.
Dr. Capampangan: THANK YOU SO MUCH.
Dr. Dan Capampangan:Mayo Clinic;
