I do stroke research and research associated with neurologic emergencies. During a stroke and after some kinds of head injuries one million brain cells can die per minute. As minutes tick by more and more of the brain is irreversibly lost. Ambulance personnel know when this is happening based on their training, but medical technology has not supplied ambulances, paramedics and EMTs with the tools to treat these patients adequately or in a timely fashion. Calls like these are “swoop and scoop” with the highly trained EMS personnel practically relegated to truck drivers. Studies have shown that EMTs can correctly diagnose stroke over 85% of the time but there is no definitive treatment for these patients, they need an ER where the physicians give drugs and provide care. While in the ambulance 1 to 10% of the brain can die. We need research and tools in the ambulance for these patients and EMS personnel.
Instead of just talking about it, some of us are trying to do just that. We are doing and funding research on neurologic emergencies appropriate to ambulance and ED patients. Have your say and visit: http://www.ece.uc.edu/POC-CENT and/or www.josephfclark.com