When a stroke hits, every moment matters. Doctors must make decisions about treatment that could have a lifelong impact.

Breakthrough stroke treatment

Now, Kettering Health physicians have a new software called RapidAI that helps them determine the course of action that will offer the best possible outcome for the stroke patient.

“When you’re able to treat a stroke sooner, you get a better result,” says Dr. Akil Patel, an endovascular neurosurgeon with Kettering Health Brain & Spine. “But the other end is when someone comes in, and it’s been several hours. There is already brain tissue that has sustained irreversible damage, and those outcomes are less fortunate. The RAPID software helps us determine where a patient is on that spectrum.”

While performing a head CT scan, the physician can, at the same time, use RAPID to calculate how the blood flow looks in the affected areas of the brain. Immediately, the provider knows what parts of the brain have suffered irreversible damage. Then the medical team can focus on savable tissue.

More time, better decisions

Of course, patients will benefit most from this advanced technology. With the RAPID software, patients can be more involved in the decision-making process because there may be more time to make more objective decisions.

“When there is a clear-cut finding because of the RAPID software, and it shows that a large part of the brain is in immediate danger, we move fast,” says Dr. Patel. “Sometimes, we have more time because the software has shown us that some tissue is at less risk than others. There are areas of the brain you can save. It gives doctors, patients, and families more specific information and helps them to make treatment decisions that have far more benefit in the long run.”

“In the past, if you weren’t in the hospital within three to six hours, treatment options were substantially limited. Most of the damage was irreversible,” Dr. Patel explained. “While it’s still extremely important for people to seek immediate treatment, implementing the RAPID software has allowed us to extend that timeframe up to 24 hours. This allows time for informed decisions that result in better outcomes.”

For more information on stroke treatment at Kettering Health, visit ketteringhealth.org/stroke/ or call 1-844-211-5482.