Ascension Saint Thomas Honors Marshall County EMS and Air Evac 9 Crew For Saving Stroke Victim
The Ascension Saint Thomas Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Outreach team recently recognized Marshall County Emergency Medical Services and Air Evac Lifeteam 9 for quickly responding to a 911 call experiencing a medical emergency.
On August 24th, 2023, a rapid assessment was performed on a community member of Marshall County. The EMS team determined that this patient was suffering from an acute stroke. With early recognition of stroke symptoms, Air Evac Lifeteam transported the patient to Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West, a comprehensive stroke center in Nashville, Tennessee.
“Nearly two million neurons die every minute after interruption of blood flow to the brain until the blood flow is restored,” said Dr. Frank Lafranchise, medical director of neuroscience program at Ascension Saint Thomas. “Rapid transport to a comprehensive stroke center or thrombectomy capable stroke center is critical to improve the outcome after such a severe stroke.”
“Thanks to the quick action of Marshall County EMS medics and the rapid response of the Air Evac Lifeteam crew members, the patient was able to be rapidly transported to definitive care,” said Amy Couvillion, director of neurosciences at Ascension Saint Thomas. “Learning the warning signs and preventable measures are the best way to avoid strokes. Remember, F.A.S.T: Face Drooping, Arm Weakness, Speech Difficulty, Time to call 911.”
