Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) has introduced powerful new technology to help diagnose and treat patients who arrive at the hospital with stroke-like symptoms.
The Radiology Department is now using RAPID AI, advanced software that quickly analyzes brain scans and helps doctors make faster, more accurate treatment decisions, hospital officials say.
One of the key tools RAPID AI provides is an automated ASPECTS score.
This score helps physicians understand how much of the brain may have been affected by a stroke.
The ASPECTS score helps guide treatment decisions and can determine if a patient is a good candidate for certain life-saving procedures, such as removing a blood clot from the brain.
“Time is absolutely critical when treating stroke,” said Dr. Stacey Speer, Chief of Radiology at CKHA, in a media release.
“RAPID AI gives our team fast, reliable information. It highlights areas of the brain that are in trouble and shows whether blood flow is being blocked. That allows us to make quicker, more confident decisions about how to treat our patients.”
With the addition of this technology, CKHA has updated its procedures for all Code Stroke patients — meaning patients who come to the Emergency Department showing signs of a stroke.
The introduction of RAPID AI was made possible thanks to funding from the CKHA Foundation.
“This is exactly the kind of impact our donors hope to make,” said Christine Mitchell, President and CEO of the CKHA Foundation, in a press release.
“We’re thrilled to fund the implementation of this AI technology. It’s improving patient care in a very real, immediate way — and helping our hospital stay at the forefront of stroke care.”
