Specialists in Son Dureta will oversee patients´ treatment

Long-distance treatment for strokes via video connection

Son Dureta. Treating the stroke victims from all islands

Ischaemic strokes affect some 1,900 people in the Balearic Islands every year and are the main cause of death amongst women and the third for men

Christine M. Watterson.Maó

The Balearic Health Service, IB-Salut, has introduced a pioneer telemedicine scheme, the ŒTeleictus´, which will allow specialists to treat stroke victims at a distance. Until now, patients in the Balearic Islands who have suffered a stroke have had to be sent to the Ictus Unit at the Son Dureta Hospital in Palma for treatment but, with the introduction of this new scheme, they will be able to receive treatment in any of the archipelago´s hospitals.

The head of IB-Salut, Sergio Bertrán, explained that the new system would enable patients to receive the same treatment, irrespective of where they live, giving them access to the best treatment for ischaemic strokes which are caused when the brain receives an inadequate flow of blood due to a blockage or constriction of a blood vessel.

This is the first time that this system of treatment has been used in Spain, although, within Europe, it is already in use in Germany. The only other countries worldwide currently to employ this system are the U.S.A. and Canada.

Bertrán explained that the main problem in treating such strokes is that the necessary medicine can only be used under the supervision of a Neurology specialist from the Ictus Unit at Son Dureta, so patients have previously had to be transferred there from all parts of the archipelago. With the ŒTeleictus´ scheme the patient can be taken to any of the islands´ hospitals and the specialists will be able to supervise their treatment and monitor their progress via video-conference equipment. This will show the patient on a screen and will allow the specialists access to the necessary CAT (Computerised Axial Tomography) scan images taken of the stroke victim.

The head of IB-Salut said that he is confident that the use of this system will reduce the mortality rate amongst stroke victims as the time lapse to the initial treatment will be greatly reduced. He added that 1,900 people in the Balearic Islands suffer an ischaemic stroke each year and that it has become the major cause of death amongst women and the third amongst men as well as being the main cause of invalidity in adults.

System to prioritise casuality patients

The Verge del Toro Hospital in Maó has recently introduced a new system whereby patients arriving at the Casualty Department will be attended to in order of priority. This system has already been implemented in all the other hospitals in the Balearic Islands..

The idea is that every patient arriving at Casualty will be seen by medical personnel within 10 minutes, excluding those arriving by 061 ambulance who will be given maximum priority. From this initial examination, which will include a list of questions, it will be determined whether the patient needs immediate treatment or not. The system should reduce waiting time in Casualty and allow non-emergencies to be redirected to their GP´s.