Her head was cocked to one side and her eyes were rolled back. But I couldn t say anything, Saadeka Joyner remembers. She was having a stroke, or brain attack. Luckily, two nurses sitting behind Joyner in the theater and two doctors elsewhere in the audience were able to help. Most fortunate for Joyner was the fact that she was able to get to MUSC Emergency Services in time to benefit from a new treatment that helps limit the damage stroke can cause.
Stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted by a clogged or burst artery.
Deprived of blood and oxygen, cells in the brain begin to die. In the past, there was little doctors could do for stroke, but the development of new drugs and procedures is changing that. If you experience stroke symptoms, it s important to get to the hospital quickly, said Timothy Carter, M.D., assistant professor of neurology. In fact, it may be the only way to get the newest, best treatment for strokes. Approved in June 1996 the same month Joyner experienced her stroke tissue plasminogen activator, or t-PA, is a thrombolytic drug, which means it can break up blood clots and restore blood flow.