Treating an acute stroke does not end once a clot has been dissolved
or a hemorrhage stopped. The care following the emergency intervention
is critical to a patient's recovery. In the hours and days following
the emergency care, the Torrance Memorial Stroke team continues their
multidisciplinary approach to ensure that the brain is given the chance
to recover, that the parts of the brain unaffected by the stroke are
not damaged, and that complications are prevented.
Patients may be sent from the Emergency Department to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or the Progressive Care Unit (PCU) to be closely monitored and to receive ongoing treatment.
The
PCU 6 is a specialized stroke unit at Torrance Memorial. All of the
nurses in the ICU and the PCU 6 have been extensively trained to identify
and care for stroke patients. Called "Nurse Champions" our stroke
nurses work throughout the hospital, and are involved from the moment
the patient arrives in the emergency room, to their care in the ICU and
PCU 6, as well as their follow-up care and rehabilitation.