Rapid response and early intervention are considered of paramount importance for patients with acute stroke and other critical neurological conditions. The Brigham and Women’s Hospital Emergency Cardiac Neuro Unit (ECNU) includes:
- A dedicated five-bed unit designed to expedite evaluation and treatment of severe, life-threatening neurological and cardiac emergencies
- Specialized emergency care staff who facilitate triage and immediate access to the Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center using a streamlined series of rapid assessments
Advanced Stroke Diagnosis
The Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center’s multidisciplinary team evaluates and treats patients using advanced diagnostic tools, including:
- 16-channel CT scanner provides an image of the brain and blood vessels in only eight seconds and is used to triage patients, rapidly target brain tissue at risk, and identify and initiate the best therapy for the patient
- CT-perfusion imaging to quantify the areas of the brain with reduced blood flow, with automated feature detection using advanced machine learning techniques.
- Diffusion-perfusion MRI detects changes at the cellular level and also helps to pinpoint areas of irreversible cell death, as well as the mechanism of the stroke
- SPECT scanning is useful in detecting changes during the acute phase of a stroke, as well as advanced surgical planning
