Striking a blow against strokes in Brazil

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Imagine you are speaking at a work meeting when you start slurring your words. You suddenly feel dizzy and one side of your body goes numb. These frightening symptoms are the signs of an ischemic stroke. This disease accounts for about 85% of all stroke cases and can have life-altering consequences for patients.

Early treatment is vital to prevent harm

An ischemic stroke is caused by a blockage in a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain. The longer the delay in restoring blood flow, the greater the potential for irreversible brain damage. The good news is that stroke outcomes can be mitigated – if treatment begins quickly. Early treatment can help reduce disability and increase a patient’s likelihood of recovery.

Brazil: Not every hospital has a stroke expert

Strokes are a globally relevant and potentially costly health issue. Take Brazil, where strokes were responsible for over 200,000 hospitalizations and $49 million in costs in 2018. However, many hospitals in Brazil lack access to specialized doctors. So with the support of Boehringer Ingelheim, Allm S.A. and the research institute Rede Brasil AVC launched ‘Telestroke’ in 2019.

> 200,000

stroke hospitalizations in Brazil in 2018

Telestroke provides 24/7 access to specialists

Telestroke is an initiative for mobile telemedicine support. It provides underserved hospitals and regions with immediate access to experts in acute stroke care. If no stroke specialist is available in the emergency room (ER), hospitals can quickly connect with a renowned neurologist for emergency decision-making. And that happens round the clock, seven days a week.

Supplementary telemedicine services

The initiative offers medical and multiprofessional training on how and when to use the JOIN app. In addition to adapting the stroke protocol and workflow for telemedicine use, Telestroke helps with telemedicine project management. It also supports service indicators and thrombolysis rates, as well as providing telemedicine-related consulting and monitoring.

Positive impact on thousands of patients

By late 2023, 30 hospitals in Brazil were using Telestroke and 10 centers were in the implementation phase. In the last four years, the initiative has positively impacted the lives of thousands of patients. It has led to:

About

2,600

ischemic strokes being confirmed

Nearly

2,900

cases of cerebrovascular disease being confirmed

Approximately

1,200

thrombolysis treatments, with a thrombolysis rate of 45%