Stroke is the fourth-leading cause of death and the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is interrupted or severely reduced, depriving brain tissue of oxygen.
For every hour's delay in medical treatment, the brain loses 120 million cells. Stroke victims need to be treated promptly to minimize brain damage and potential complications. It is imperative that a person seek immediate medical treatment at the first sign of stroke by calling 911.
UPMC McKeesport is an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital certified by The Joint Commission. This means that we offer immediate, evidence-based stroke care. After vital stroke treatment, Acute Stroke Ready Hospitals transfer patients to another hospital certified as either a:
It is important that someone who may be having a stroke reach their nearest stroke center quickly. Any level of stroke center can help, and time is one of the most important factors in stroke treatment and recovery.
Doctors at a stroke center can treat some stroke cases with clot-dissolving medications. For these medicines to be as effective as possible, this must happen with a few hours of the first signs of stroke.
Physicians at UPMC McKeesport have 24-hour-a-day access to specialists at the UPMC Stroke Institute in order to bring a higher level of stroke treatment and care to our patients.
At UPMC McKeesport, specialists in emergency medicine, vascular neurology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and other subspecialties work together to diagnose and determine the most appropriate stroke treatment.
Our team of experts uses advance therapies to treat stroke, with the goal of restoring cognitive and physical function.
Read about the causes, risk factors, and warning signs of strokes.
