Stroke Center at Mercy Medical Center Merced

Stroke treatment initially involves breaking up or removing the blood clot and repairing the damage caused by the stoke. This is followed by supportive care and rehabilitation that includes physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy to help the patient regain strength and coordination and relearn skills.

Stroke assessment is done based on the criteria laid out by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). These criteria include checking for facial numbness, arm numbness or weakness, slurred speech. If a stroke is suspected, it will be diagnosed using blood tests, a CT scan or MRI of the brain, an EKG, a carotid ultrasound, and a cerebral angiogram.

Rehabilitation and therapy services include inpatient and outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology services. These services are provided to people who are recovering from an injury or illness or have a chronic health condition or disability.

A stroke risk assessment determines a person's risk of stroke based on their age, blood pressure, cholesterol, diet, level of exercise, whether they smoke, whether they take oral contraceptives, their drug or alcohol use, whether they have diabetes, and their heart health.

Patient and family education involves ensuring patients and their families have all the information they need in the appropriate format so they can make informed decisions regarding treatment and so they can ensure adequate post-surgical care.