OROVILLE — Oroville Hospital was recently certified as a Primary Stroke Center, and the Stroke Team said medical treatment during the first few hours of a stroke can prevent long-term disabilities.

The hospital has had a Stroke Team in place since April 15. Recently, after Sierra-Sacramento Valley Emergency Medical Services agency (EMS) surveyed the stroke program, the hospital became qualified as a Primary Stroke Center, also called a stroke receiving center.

Now, the Stroke Team is educating the community about the signs and symptoms of stroke and the importance to call 9-1-1 immediately.

Stroke symptoms can often be reversed and permanent disability prevented if a person receives medical treatment within 31Ú2 -4 hours after the onset of a stroke, said Dr. Ardavan Afrasiabi, Medical Director of the Stroke Team at Oroville Hospital.

“We want to educate the public about the signs and symptoms of what could be a stroke, and to urge them to seek medical help immediately because of the narrow time frame they have,” Afrasiabi said.

A stroke strikes when a clot or ruptured artery interrupts blood flow to the brain, according to a hospital press release. the interruption of blood to the brain cuts off oxygen and nutrients to brain cells that will soon die, causing brain damage and impairing body functions controlled by that area of the brain.

The team emphasizes the importance of calling 9-1-1 rather than driving yourself or another person to the hospital.

When 9-1-1 is activated, the Stroke Team works with paramedics through Sierra-Sacramento Valley Emergency Medical Services agency to identify stroke symptoms. then hospital personnel can prepare to treat a patient upon arrival.

At the emergency room, a member of the team such as stroke coordinator and registered nurse Mary Jarschke will stay at the patient’s bedside to ensure proper treatment.

“Our goal is to provide the most current evidence-based treatment for stroke patients from the minute they arrive in our Emergency Department through rehabilitation to home, as well as community education to increase stroke awareness,” Jarschke said.

A possible stroke patient is given a computerized tomography or CT scan soon after arriving at the hospital. the scan tells doctors if the stroke is from a blood clot or a ruptured blood vessel.

If the scan shows a clot, the team decides if the patient is a candidate for a clot dissolving medication.

Doctors follow a checklist to diagnose and treat the patient for immediate stroke symptoms and other medical conditions.

Stroke patient treatment continues as the patient recovers with physical therapy and occupational therapy in the extended care unit and follows the patient home.

A support group for stroke patients, family members and caregivers meets at the Greater Oroville Family Resource Center, 2185 Baldwin Ave., to also help after a patient goes home.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of long-term disability.

The hospital already treated stroke, but Dr. Matthew Fine and his team wanted to develop a recognized Stroke Treatment Center.

“One of our goals at Oroville Hospital is doing really well what we do,” Fine said.

The team developed the stroke program over a year, after extensive research from the latest medical studies and agencies that provide information on stroke.

In today’s digital world, the latest research and studies are available online, which differs from the past when information was only available in text books that could be five years old when published, Fine said.

The hospital also has 80 certified stroke nurses, and all new nurses are required to have certification. Hospitalists and technical personnel are also stroke trained, so stroke patients entering the hospital at any time receive the same organized treatment.

The hospital reports all stroke cases to the American Stroke Association, and the association will review how the hospital handles each case.

The team’s next goal is to educate the public, which included crafting a small stroke awareness card with signs, symptoms, risk factors and treatments for stroke and heart attack.

The cards have been placed in local businesses and other public agencies.

Fine said the owner of a local hair salon called the hospital and said one of her customers recognized that she was having a stroke after reading the card, and the shop owner called 9-1-1.

The hospital’s goal is for everyone to seek immediate emergency care for a stroke.

“I’ve seen it and everyone who has can tell you if you seek help immediately, it can increase chances for survival and improve outcomes.”

Fine also urges people to seek medical care for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. He said some pharmacies offer some of the best blood pressure and stroke medications for $4 on a special plan.

Fine is the hospital’s chief medical officer and patient safety director.

Other Stroke Team members include Patient Safety Nurse Hardy Lusher and Patient Safety Coordinator Susan Amos. the stroke team includes a Hmong doctor.

The hospital offers a variety of treatments, procedures and surgeries to treat and prevent strokes, Fine said.

Signs of stroke:

* Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.

* Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.

* Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.

* Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.

* Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

Call 9-1-1 immediately if a person shows any of these symptoms.

To reduce risk factors:

* Talk to a health care coordinator.

* Practice good nutrition and eat more fruits and vegetables.

* Stop smoking.

* take prescription medication.

— the American Stroke Association

Risk factors for stroke from Oroville Hospital:

* having high blood pressure.

* having high cholesterol.

* Smoking.

* being overweight.

* having diabetes.

* Drinking more than two alcoholic drinks a day.

Staff writer Mary Weston can be reached at 533-3135 or .

I have looked but can no longer find anything about after-stroke symptoms. and can't find much on parkinson's symptoms. can anyone tell me if there are any similarities like tremors, or can help me find a place on the web that might tell me?

Try the NINDS website. you may also want to do a search on Binswanger's disease, which has a vascular etiology but can have some features of Parkinson's disease. there may be many other possible causes, but this may be a good start for you. Best of luck!