Brain Perfusion Imaging Procedure Helps in Stroke Diagnosis and Management

A computed tomography (CT) brain perfusion scan may provide a superior diagnosis for suspected stroke patients.

Radisphere (Cleveland, OH, USA), a large and fast-growing radiology group in the United States, reported that it has helped implement new imaging technology for the medical staff at Adventist Medical Center-Hanford (CA, USA).

Sanjeev Athale, MD, who is the onsite medical director of radiology at Adventist Medical Center-Hanford and employed locally by Radisphere, helped bring this new procedure to Adventist Health/Central Valley Network. “We are excited to have this procedure, usually only offered at hospitals in major urban settings, available in the Central Valley,” said Kendall Fults, R.N. and senior vice president of network operations at Adventist Health. “It is important to have strategic partners like Radisphere to help us provide quality services so the medical staff can offer faster comprehensive patient care.”

A CT brain perfusion measures blood flow, blood volume, and the time required for blood to pass through tissue to gather critical data about the extension and severity of a blockage or bleeding that can occur during a stroke, therefore it can rapidly assess blood flow in the brain and help physicians see if a patient is about to have a stroke. The scan also can help delineate the brain tissue region affected and detect any damage that can be repaired by medical or surgical therapy.

Early diagnosis is vital when treating acute stroke since there is a narrow time window for treatment, typically within three hours. Traditional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CT and no not have enough sensitivity to assess acute strokes during the first 24 to 36 hours, whereas CT perfusion imaging can provide immediate diagnosis of bleeding in the brain and major vessel blockages.

Radisphere provides a standards-based delivery model that combines local radiologists who provide hands-on patient care, a large network of subspecialty radiologists, and a cloud-based technology platform.

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Radisphere
Adventist Medical Center-Hanford