World Brain Day: A Global Call For Brain Health

July 22 is World Brain Day

Tata Main Hospital Jamshedpur offers 24×7 specialized stroke care

Dr. Sushant Shangari

The World Brain Day is celebrated on the 22nd of July every year by the World Federation of Neurology to raise awareness about brain health and promote prevention of neurological disorders.

This year’s theme emphasizes Brain Health for All Ages. Stroke is one of the most common neurological disorders worldwide with an estimate of over 13.7 million new strokes each year throughout the world. Globally, every fourth person aged over 25 years will suffer a stroke in their lifetime.

A stroke happens when blood flow to the brain is blocked or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. Without oxygen-rich blood, brain cells begin to die within minutes.

There are two main types of strokes: 1. Ischemic stroke – caused by a blood clot or blockage in the vessel supplying blood to the brain.2. Hemorrhagic stroke – caused by bursting of the vessels supplying the brain.

Risk factors of stroke include: Advanced age, Diabetes, Hypertension, Hypercholesterolemia, Tobacco use , Alcohol use, Cardiac abnormalities, etc. Strokes can also occur in younger individuals and may require more advanced testing for identifying the underlying cause.

Most strokes can easily be identified by remembering the following acronym FAST:

• F – Face drooping: Is one side of the face numb or drooping? Ask the person to smile.
• A – Arm weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask them to raise both arms.
• S – Speech difficulty: Is speech slurred or strange? Can they repeat a simple sentence?
• T – Time to call Emergency Services: If you see any of these signs, call emergency services immediately.

Stroke is always a medical emergency and faster onset of medical care improves chances of survival, hastens recovery and decreases long term morbidity. All patients of stroke require urgent medical care and must be transported to a hospital as soon as possible. At the hospital, an urgent CT scan of the brain is done to identify the type of stroke. .In cases of ischemic strokes, eligible patient can be given clot buster injection “Alteplase” within 4.5 hours of onset of stroke, which decreases  mortality, morbidity and improves functional outcomes in such patients. For such patients, the dictum states that “Time is Brain”. For every minute a stroke goes untreated, the brain loses 1.9 million neurons. For every 10-minute delay in administering clot busting medication, a patient can lose nearly 2 months of healthy life. Faster the onset of treatment, greater are the chances of recovery.

At Tata Main Hospital, Jamshedpur, we have established a dedicated Stroke Unit at the forefront of providing rapid, expert care for patients experiencing a stroke. Our Stroke Unit operates 24/7 with a multidisciplinary team of neurologists, emergency physicians, nurses, radiologists, physiotherapists, and speech therapists. This team is trained to recognise stroke symptoms quickly, perform urgent brain scans and begin immediate intervention, which is critical — especially during the first “golden hour” after stroke onset. The unit is equipped with advanced brain imaging technology (CT scan and MRI) to diagnose ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes rapidly. For eligible patients, we offer clot-busting injection Alteplase. We also have a separate stroke unit within our wards with state-of-the-art equipment and round the clock monitoring by dedicated and especially trained doctors and nursing staff. The stroke care is individualized for every patient depending on their neurological deficits so that each patient’s needs are met and maximise their recovery.

Beyond emergency care, our Stroke Unit provides comprehensive rehabilitation and recovery planning. Each patient receives personalised therapy, including physical rehabilitation and speech-language therapy. Be rest assured that our stroke team will be with you at every step of your journey through stroke recovery.

The Department of Neurology at Tata Main Hospital , Jamshedpur receives about 1200 stroke patients every year of which about 60 % are cases of ischemic stroke and 40 % are cases of hemorrhagic stroke. About 70% cases are mild to moderate in severity and about 30% cases are severe. Survival rate is good at about 90 – 95% at our centre. Earlier arrival to hospital is associated with higher survival chances, lower rate of residual neurological deficits and faster recovery.

(Author is specialist, Medical Indoor Services, Tata Main Hospital. Views are personal.)