Left to right are Civitan member Wanda Hayton, Dr. Cleopatra Thurman of Erlanger, and Civitan President Ashley Evans
photo by Neal Thompson
Erlanger Health Center’s Dr. Cleopatra Thurman, a noted neurologist specializing in stroke management care and prevention and head of the Stroke Team at the hospital, spoke to the Chattanooga Civitan Club about care and treatment of strokes.
She also stressed the importance of a stroke victim getting to the hospital as soon as they can due to a window of opportunity of up to 3.5 hours from the time of the stroke in order for the patient to be given by IV a drug in order to break up the blood clot in the brain in order to lessen the bad effects that a stroke has on the brain.
Dr. Thurman said it is better not to give an aspirin to the stroke victim prior to coming to the hospital. She said that is because their are two types of strokes, and one does not know what the type or nature of the stroke until the patient is seen by the medical staff.
She said the doctors at the hospital will determine what type of stroke has occurred.
In one type of stroke, an aspirin may actually make the stroke worse.
She further discussed the leading role that Erlanger has to the Chattanooga area in the treatment of strokes and the need to control the factors that lead up the cause a stroke - high blood pressure and heart-related issues.