Mr. Speaker, today I’d like to talk about strokes and possible solutions for them for northern residents. Stroke is an injury to the part of the brain. It happens when something goes wrong with the blood flow to the brain. Blood vessels, called arteries, carry blood and nutrients through the body. One way the brain may be injured is when an artery of the brain becomes blocked and the blood supply is cut off. Without a supply of blood, the brain does not get the oxygen and nutrients it definitely needs. The patient will suffer permanent brain damage if blood supply is cut off for more than a few hours.
One treatment that can be offered to patients within a couple of hours within the onset of a stroke is called TPA, which means Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator. TPA, in short, Mr. Speaker, is a clot buster. This clot buster is used to break up the clot that is causing the blockage and destruction in the flow of blood to the brain and the blood flow to the area of the brain that has caused problems. This is given through intravenous. In order to determine whether the TPA treatment can be offered, a CT scan of the brain must be done as quickly as possible. This is to find out if this is that type of stroke that TPA can help. If bleeding into the brain has caused the stroke, TPA can increase the bleeding into to the brain. If this is the case, TPA cannot be used for the treatment; it will cause more harm than good. A blood test may also be taken if there is a bleeding condition. If the CT scan shows no bleeding in the brain, then the clot-dissolving drug, TPA, can be used as a long and positive solution to meet their needs. TPA treatment has risks. There is a chance if the bleeding into the brain happens after TPA is given it may cause the patient’s stroke symptoms to be worse and could even result in death. However, the death rate is the same, Mr. Speaker, with or without TPA. There is a greater chance of recovery if this drug TPA is used in the treatment of people with strokes.
Mr. Speaker, the best chance for a full recovery of stroke caused by blocked arteries is the use of TPA. I encourage Stanton Hospital to consider this type of treatment for strokes.
Mr. Speaker, I will have questions later today for the Minister about making sure that the TPA drug, the clot busting drug for strokes, becomes one of the tools that helps to save Northerners.
