St. Francis has earned the Joint Commission's Golden Seal of Approval and American Heart Association/American Stroke Association mark for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Center.
The St. Francis Stroke Program is led by a highly collaborative, expertly skilled team of clinical professionals who direct and provide evidence-based care for every stroke patient. The program provides care to the adult population of Northeast Louisiana. Services provided include:
Prevention and education are pivotal to stroke patients’ recovery. Time is critical during a stroke, so we urge everyone to learn the signs of a stroke and B-E F-A-S-T (Balance, Eyesight, Face, Arm, Speech, Time):
2023 Quality Metrics| Stroke Related Procedure Outcomes
Below is a description of the stroke-related procedures performed at St. Francis Medical Center, with quality information on the complication rates and outcomes of the patient who undergo such procedures.
Thrombolytics, Tenecteplase (TNKase), are a type of medication used for thrombolysis or as a “clot buster” to dissolve the clot blockage within the artery during a stroke. Effectiveness of this medication decreases with time and does have risk for bleeding following the administration. Not all patients are candidates for this treatment as there are certain inclusion/exclusion criteria requirements.
2023 | Volume | Complications | Mortality |
Q-1 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
Q-2 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
Q-3 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
Q-4 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 49 | 0 | 0 |
Mechanical Thrombectomy Reperfusion
A thrombectomy is a procedure to remove a clot that is blocking one of the large arteries of the brain during a stroke. This procedure is performed by inserting a catheter with a device attached to remove the clot. This procedure can be done in addition to the administration of a thrombolytic (Tenecteplase) medication or without, however effectiveness of this procedure decreased with time. Not all patients are candidates for this procedure as there are certain inclusion/exclusion criteria requirements.
2023 | Volume | Complications | Mortality |
Q-1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Q-2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Q-3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Q-4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 11 | 0 | 0 |
Diagnostic Cerebral Angiography
Cerebral Angiography is a form of angiography which provides images of blood vessels in and around the brain, thereby allowing detection of abnormalities such as arteriovenous malformations and aneurysms. Typically, a catheter is inserted into a large artery (such as femoral artery) and threaded through the circulatory system to the carotid artery, where a contrast agent is injected. A series of radiographs are taken as the contrast agent spreads through the brain’s arterial system, then a second series as it reaches the venous system. The objective of the exam is to define the site and extent of the arterial abnormality, allowing the physicians to determine the best treatment options.
2023 | Volume | Complications | Mortality |
Q-1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Q-2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Q-3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Q-4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 8 | 0 | 0 |