CLEVELAND — When someone is having a stroke, time is critical. The more minutes that pass, the more likely the chance of brain injury, disability or even death.
Cleveland Clinic's Mobile Stroke Units bring stroke care directly to the patient, greatly reducing the time between dispatch and treatment.
Good Morning Cleveland anchor Tiffany Tarpley spoke to a man who received stroke treatment in 10 minutes from a mobile stroke unit.
Mike Wiertel suffered a stroke on January 25, 2022. He was leaving work with a colleague when it happened.
"I went to put my keys in the ignition and in my mind I put my keys in the ignition and I looked down and my hand was still sitting on my leg with my keys in my hand," said Wiertel.
Wiertel's colleague Skip noticed something was wrong. Skip asked Wiertel to stick his tongue out and it was crooked — a sign of a stroke.
Use the acronym BE FAST to remember the signs of stroke:
B - Balance: Is the person suddenly having trouble with balance or coordination?
E - Eyes: Is the person experiencing suddenly blurred or double vision?
F - Face Drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb?
A - Arm Weakness: Is one arm weak or numb?
S - Speech Difficulty: Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand?
T - Time to call 911: If the person shows any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately.
Skip called 911, and fortunately, a Cleveland Clinic Mobile Stroke Unit was nearby.
The Clinic's mobile stroke units are staffed with emergency responders, a CT scanner and clot-busting drugs.
"It really changed the way we deliver care," said Dr. Zeshaun Khawaja, director of Cleveland Clinic's Mobile Stroke Program. "The star of the show is the CT scan — stroke treatment really hinges on the scan."
Wiertel's brain scan showed clotting in the brain. He received an injection of medication to restore blood flow to his brain.
He said he's not sure what caused him to have a stroke, but he's doing much better today.
"I'm 98% of what I used to be, which I'm pretty happy with 98%," said Wiertel.
Cleveland Clinic's Mobile Stroke Units have been serving the Greater Cleveland community for 10 years.
More than 2,700 have been treated so far.
The goal is to expand mobile stroke care across Northeast Ohio to help save even more lives.
