Stroke machine breathes new life into Portiuncula’s services

Seven of the ‘TRASNA’ machines were purchased nationally by the HSE in 2012, but had been sitting in a storage facility in Cork.

However, last week, managers in the Saolta group – which handles the administration of hospitals in Galway – confirmed that one of the machines has finally been delivered to Portiuncula.

The machine will allow patients at Portiuncula talk with the specialist at the other end of the line – who will also have access to the patient’s entire file, including scans – and allow immediate decision-making, thus saving lives.

For some types of stroke caused by a blood clot, a 'clot-busting' drug is seen as the best option to stop more damage to the brain. This is administered by injection in a treatment called thrombolysis.

It can only be given within four-and-a half-hours of stroke symptoms starting. About 10% of people treated with thrombolysis will make a good recovery and if given within two hours, the recovery rate is even better.

The TRASNA machine will allow for complex decision-making – such a thrombolysis treatment – to take place, even if no specialist is physically in Portiuncula. Independent TD Denis Naughten told the Connacht Tribune: “For the first time ever, it will ensure that the hospital has a 24 hour a day, seven day a week emergency stroke service.

“Over the past two years, I’ve been lobbying and publically pressing Government and the HSE for the installation of one of these machines at Portiuncula.

“The importance of this machine to the hospital cannot be underestimated, particularly since the loss of our stroke consultant at the hospital in March 2013.

“Since then, the hospital has unsuccessfully tried to recruit a new consultant, with the post even offered to a candidate last summer.

“The lack of such a service in Portiuncula means that someone diagnosed with a stroke within four hours of its onset must be transferred to Galway, 40 minutes away.

“And for every minute that treatment is delayed, a stroke patient loses two million brain cells. This could result in local patients losing 80m brain cells while they travel in the ambulance between Ballinasloe and Galway, and then spending longer in hospital and they are also more likely to require long-term nursing home care,” said Deputy Naughten.

He said that every second day, one person within the catchment of Portiuncula suffers a stroke, and that it is the third biggest cause of death and disability in the world today.

“We now need to link the machines up with Galway University Hospitals’ stroke team and  in tandem with that train the staff in Portiuncula to administer the thrombolysis treatment after diagnosis.

“But this is a major step forward and I want to acknowledge the work done by Chris Kane and her team in Portiuncula and also that of Minister Varadkar,” said the Deputy.

At the moment, Portiuncula has a very successful stroke rehabilitation unit, with a team of nurses and therapists providing focused support for those in recovery.

“Not only does the installation of this state of the art machine allow for the development of a 24/7 emergency stroke thrombolysis service, but in the UK, hospitals have expanded the use of these machines to fast-track treatment for burns, orthopaedics and neurology patients.

“With the strong history of Portiuncula building up links with other hospitals, hopefully these machines can be used to reduce the need to transfer many more patients to other hospitals,” Deputy Naughten said.