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Belleville, New Jersey—In recognition of National Stroke Awareness Month in May, Clara Maass Medical Center will present, “Stroke. Are You at Risk,” a free health screenings and information session on Wednesday, May 7, 2008. Free bruit, blood pressure, body fat analysis and cholesterol screenings will be offered, followed by an informational session presented by members of the Clara Maass medical staff.
A designated Primary Stroke Center from the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Clara Maass Medical Center is a facility that has dedicated resources to effectively treat stroke patients during an emergency. This includes a designated stroke team comprised of doctors, nurses and therapists; state-of-the-art diagnostic brain imaging capabilities; an intensive care unit led by nurses skilled in neurological emergencies; an inpatient stroke care unit with specially trained nurses and an inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation program.
“A stroke occurs by one of two mechanisms: either a part of the brain dies from lack of blood, usually because one of the arteries that supply oxygen-carrying blood to the brain has been blocked or damaged, or alternatively, a blood vessel in the brain bursts and the resultant hemorrhage disrupts the brain,” said Matthew J. DeLuca, M.D., Neurologist and Medical Director of Clara Maass Medical Center’s Primary Stroke Center.
Factors that increase risk of stroke include age, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, heart disease, smoking and physical inactivity.
“Knowing the signs of a stroke and receiving immediate medical care is critical,” said John Fontanetta, M.D., Director of Emergency Medicine at Clara Maass Medical Center. “Educational efforts now stress that people should ‘Think FAST,’ FAST—an acronym for recognizing and responding to the symptoms of stroke—stands for face, arms, speech and time.”
- Face: Does the face look uneven? Ask them to smile.
- Arm: Does one arm drift down? Ask them to raise both arms.
- Speech: Does their speech sound strange? Ask them to repeat a phrase.
- Time: Every second, brain cells die. Call 9-1-1 at any sign of stroke!
“Stroke. Are You at Risk?” will take place on May 7, at Greifinger Lecture Hall located at Clara Maass Medical Center, One Clara Maass Drive, Belleville. Screening will take place from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and the informational session will begin at 6:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served and parking is FREE.
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