Stroke Care

During and after a stroke, get expert care from UNC Health Wayne. Your care team in Goldsboro, North Carolina, will work fast to find the cause of your stroke and use advanced treatments to help you recover.

See a Neurologist by Video

After you come to the emergency room with stroke symptoms, you’ll see a neurologist (brain doctor) by video. This doctor is at a different hospital, but appears on a video screen attached to a “robot” your UNC Health Wayne team wheels into your room.

Your neurologist will see and review the results of imaging tests on your brain. As you talk and move, the doctor watches and listens to determine if you’re having a stroke. The neurologist will quickly order the best treatment, so you get the best-possible outcome.

You have access to this timely, expert stroke care 24 hours a day, seven days a week because a neurologist is always available by video (telestroke technology).

Types of Stroke

Depend on us to diagnose and treat both types of stroke:

• Ischemic stroke – Caused by blood clots
• Hemorrhagic stroke – Caused by a burst or weak blood vessel

Diagnosis & Screening

Rely on your UNC Health Wayne emergency medicine team to quickly find the cause of your stroke using advanced tests, such as:

• Carotid Doppler ultrasound – Creates images of your carotid arteries (major blood vessels in the neck) to look at how your blood is flowing through your blood vessels
• Computed tomography (CT) of the head – Uses X-rays to create pictures of your skull and brain to find abnormalities that may cause a stroke
• Echocardiogram – Looks at your heart to find abnormalities that could lead to stroke
• MRI - use of magnetic waves to uncover abnormalities in structures, including strokes. This can be used in place of or in addition to a CT head scan.

Diffusion-Weighted Imaging for Ischemic Stroke

If you experience an acute ischemic stroke, your doctor may use MRI with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to identify damaged tissue quickly —so you receive targeted, more effective treatment.

Stroke Treatment

Regardless of the type of stroke you experience, feel confident that our expert staff will give prompt treatment. This helps you have the best possible outcome.

Clot-Busting Medications

If your stroke is caused by a blood clot, you may get injections of thrombolytic medicine, also called Activase®, through an intravenous (IV) line to break up blood clots. This treatment improves blood flow and prevents damage to your tissues and organs.

Count on quick thrombolysis treatment because UNC Health Wayne received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Target: Stroke^SM Honor Roll award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.

This recognition means more than half of patients who need thrombolytic therapy receive their medication within 60 minutes of arriving at the emergency room. Fast treatment can improve your outcome.

Craniotomy

Depend on your stroke care team to decide if you need surgery after a hemorrhagic stroke to reduce pressure in your brain from bleeding. During a craniotomy, your surgeon removes part of the bone from your skull to expose the brain. This removes pressure and prevents further damage caused by a stroke.

Recovery After Stroke

You’ll get an evaluation of your skills and abilities to aid in your recovery plan. Take advantage of first-class rehabilitation services at UNC Health Wayne. Your rehabilitation may include occupational, physical and/or speech therapy. Your personalized rehabilitation plan will help you perform everyday tasks, move easier, and gain independence after stroke.

Prevent Another Stroke

During your hospital stay, your care team will provide stroke prevention education. You’ll identify risk factors and learn how to modify your lifestyle and manage your health.

Stroke Support Group

Connect with other stroke survivors and family members at our stroke support group. Get education, advice, and help with community resources to assist you during recovery.