The Sacred Heart Regional Stroke Center is participating in a national research study to the effectiveness of a natural protein in treating damage that occurs in the brain following a stroke.
About 1,800 people at 60 sites across the United States and Canada will take part in the study of human albumin, a protein already in use for a variety of medical purposes. The use of albumin currently is not a standard treatment for stroke, but in animal studies, it was shown to reduce the amount of tissue death in the brain and improve neurological function after a stroke. These effects may reduce or prevent brain damage from a stroke in humans.
Participating in the study is voluntary. For research purposes, eligible stroke patients will be randomly assigned to receive either albumin or a placebo substance containing no medication.
Currently, the only approved treatment for acute stroke is the clot-busting drug called t-PA, which should be given to the patient within three hours of when stroke symptoms occur. The albumin study is being conducted at Sacred Heart under the direction of Dr. Terry Neill, a critical care neurologist.
Sacred Heart's Regional Stroke Center is dedicated to providing rapid emergency care and new therapies that can improve outcomes and minimize disabilities for patients who have suffered a stroke. Sacred Heart Hospital was the first hospital in the Pensacola area to earn Primary Stroke Center Certification from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
For more information about stroke or the warning signs of stroke, visit Sacred Heart's online health library at www.sacred-heart.org.
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Labels: Clot-buster, Research, Stroke, Stroke Center
