Stroke Emergency Care

Emergent Acute Stroke (< 24 hours stroke symptom onset): (844) 220-4673
Inpatient Referral (> 24 hours stroke symptom onset): (206) 341-1141

Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States and a leading cause of death.

If you or someone near you is having a stroke, every second counts. At Virginia Mason, our emergency stroke team is available 24 hours a day.

The team is part of Virginia Mason's Stroke Center, which is certified as a comprehensive stroke center by the international accredited registrar and classification society DNV-GL. Certification involves a rigorous assessment process that examines how well an organization meets strict standards and clinical best practices..

Signs of Stroke
When the EMS Team Reaches You
Emergency Stroke Care at Virginia Mason
Why Virginia Mason?

Signs of Stroke

If you or someone near you has one or more of these symptoms, do not hesitate: Call 911 and tell the emergency operator what signs of stroke are present.

Warning signs include:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Try to note when symptoms began so you can tell the medical team. Immediate action is vital: If given within three hours of the start of symptoms, a clot-busting drug can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke.

An easy way to remember is to think BEFAST:

When the EMS Team Reaches You

Treatment for a stroke emergency begins when the emergency medical system team arrives at your side. The EMS team assesses vital signs and symptoms, provides life-saving treatment (such as CPR) if needed, and prepares the patient for transport to the hospital.

EMS teams notify us when they have a patient en route. For strokes, the Emergency Department team makes preparations before the patient even arrives, including:

Starting patient registration
Preparing the CT scanner
Activating the stroke team

Virginia Mason is conveniently located on First Hill, just minutes away Capitol Hill, and downtown Seattle, and ambulances arrive quickly.

Emergency Stroke Care at Virginia Mason

Every second counts in treating a stroke. When the ambulance arrives at Virginia Mason, the Emergency Department stroke team is ready. Typical immediate steps include:

CT scan to identify what type of stroke you have experienced
Vital signs and blood work
Neurological exam
IV line to prepare for clot-busting medication

Once a stroke diagnosis is confirmed, a neurologist and pharmacist determine the appropriate medication and dosage, which is administered right away.

Why Virginia Mason?

Medicare compares the hospitals across the country on their performance for caring for stroke patients, and reports the findings at medicare.gov. These findings show Virginia Mason has higher percentages than the state and national average for many stroke care factors, including:

Patients receiving clot-busting medication within three hours of first symptoms
Patients receiving medications to prevent blood clots while in the hospital
Patients discharged from the hospital with prescriptions for preventing blood-clot complications
Patients and caregivers given written educational materials about stroke care and prevention