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USA Stroke Center joins national campaign
Mobile Register, September 7, 2003 Section: L Page: 24

Trustees demand more from foundation

USA Health System USA Stroke Center joins national campaign

In August, the University of South Alabama Stroke Center joined the National Stroke Association in an ongoing campaign to reduce strokes in Alabama, one of the hardest-hit states in the nation in stroke rates. People who live along the Gulf Coast are twice as likely as the national average to die from a stroke or brain attack, according to USA representatives. Remarkably, USA doctors said, up to 80 percent of strokes are preventable. "Stroke prevention remains the best treatment of stroke and aggressive, ongoing public and professional education is essential in the fight to reduce stroke incidence," said Dr. Richard Zweifler, medical director for the USA Stroke Center and associate professor of neurology at the USA College of Medicine. Zweifler has helped educate area paramedics and first-responders in stroke protocols, helps oversee stroke education and prevention for the general population, and works closely with the American Stroke Association. In early August, USA and the National Stroke Association launched a national multiyear stroke education campaign in the southeastern United States. The inaugural year's theme is "Ask Your Doctor - Am I at Risk for Stroke?" "It's a brand new program that was launched this year in the southeastern United States, with Alabama being one of about five states involved so far," said Paul Taylor, USA spokesman. Speaking of USA and the NSA, Taylor said, "We share a mission in patient education and stroke prevention." As part of their education campaign, USA Knollwood Hospital offers a free quarterly class for stroke victims and their families, Taylor said, at which doctors discuss reducing preventable risks like uncontrolled diabetes and smoking. Many people who have had a stroke are at risk of having another, Taylor said, and they need to talk to their doctors about how they can reduce their chances for a stroke or brain attack. Taylor sai! d stroke is the third leading cause of death in Alabama, accounting for 3,183 deaths in 2000 - approximately 7 percent of the state's deaths. In a 2001 study, 82 percent of Alabama adults reported having one or more of the following risk factors for stroke: high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, overweight or obesity. In addition, African-Americans are 40 percent more likely to die from stroke as whites, and twice as likely as Hispanics and Native Americans. Burn center joins research effort USA's Regional Burn and Wound Center has joined the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and other burn centers nationwide in an initiative aimed at collecting data about serious clothing-related burns to children under 15. The commission's new National Burn Center Reporting System is a cooperative effort of USA Regional Burn and Wound Center, the American Burn Association, Shriners Hospitals for Children and the National Association of State Fire Marshals! . Under the new system, USA and other burn centers that treat children will report any incidents in which a child's clothing is believed to have played a part in a burn injury. "Children's clothing can be ignited in any number of ways, including fireworks, candles, fireplaces and house fires," said USA burn surgeon Dr. Karen Frye. "We report any incidents that include the ignition, melting or smoldering of apparel worn by children. The goal is to provide data that will guide future regulations on fireproofing children's clothing so we can prevent future injury." When USA reports an incident to the commission, the agency assigns an investigator to explore the circumstances surrounding the injury. The information is logged into the commission's epidemiological databases. The National Association of State Fire Marshals participates by retrieving and preserving children's clothing involved in burn injuries. The USA Regional Burn and Wound Center is located at USA Medical Cen! ter and provides specialized care to burn and trauma patients in South Alabama, Northwest Florida, Southern Mississippi and Eastern Louisiana. New screening pinpoints heart woes A fast and easy test to screen for the early stages of heart disease is being offered at USA Knollwood Hospital. The test, called Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring, can detect calcium buildup in the coronary arteries, a sign of coronary disease. The tests can detect the calcium safely and at an early stage of buildup, which gives the patient an opportunity to address the problem more effectively. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of men and women in the United States. For as many as 150,000 people each year, a fatal heart attack is the first and only symptom of coronary artery disease. There have been tremendous advances in halting, or even reversing, the damage caused by the buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries, but until now early detection has been elusive. Coronary artery calcium scoring ! is made possible by a special CT that records a series of detailed images of the blood vessels around the heart. The test is simple, quick and painless. A scan takes only about 10 minutes and is noninvasive - no incisions, injections, dyes or needles. A radiologist uses the scan to determine the number and density of coronary plaques in the entire coronary system and the severity of any buildup. Within 24 hours, a report is sent to the patient's physician for further review and recommendations. The Calcium Scoring Scan is an appropriate tool for otherwise healthy individuals who might be at risk for heart disease, including men over 45 and postmenopausal women who have risk factors such as high cholesterol, family history of early coronary disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking history, sedentary living or being overweight. Detecting a problem early gives the patient a chance to reduce the chance of heart attack through lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercis! e, or through medication. For more information, call the radiology department at 660-5700. Short takes The laboratory at USA Medical Center has been awarded accreditation with distinction by the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologists, also known as CAP. The national award, based on a recent on-site inspection, cited the lab for excellent services. "This recognition assures our patients they are receiving high quality and cost-effective medical care from our laboratory," said Cheri McRoyan, chief medical technologist. "We are pleased and proud to be awarded CAP accreditation." The CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program involves a review of the lab's records and quality control procedures, staff qualifications, lab equipment, facilities, safety program and record, and overall management. "PERCIPIO," the Art in Science Program, was developed by the Center for Lung Biology at USA College of Medicine to showcase scientific data from the ! College of Medicine as artwork. The primary purpose of the program is perhaps best defined by the title, PERCIPIO, which translated from Latin means "to learn through the senses." The program is intended to integrate scientific research with the nonscientific community by providing a means for research scientists to present the aesthetic aspects of their data to the community, both locally and globally. Initially, the goal of PERCIPIO was to display images in an online Art in Science Gallery. Research scientists associated with the Center for Lung Biology were encouraged to submit their data to the program for display as art. In addition to the online gallery, an annual Art in Science exhibit at the Mobile Museum of Art is being planned with the inaugural show in November, which will be accompanied by a series of lectures. The juried exhibit will include pieces selected from data submitted to the Art in Science Gallery, three-dimensional installations representing physi! ological processes and artwork created by local school students. The images come from microscopic pictures of blood vessels in the lung. The USA Center for Lung Biology produces scientific information on processes that occur in the innermost cells of blood vessels in the lung. The common component of all lung disease is a reduction in the body's supply of oxygen. Diseases such as emphysema or conditions like sleep apnea and altitude sickness deprive the body of vital oxygen. Identifying what happens in the cells due to lack of oxygen can lead to discoveries of treatments for the associated diseases. The beautiful images were created during the research process by adding fluorescent dyes to cell material. Various dye colors are attracted to different parts of the cells because of distinct characteristics of that cell part. The images were captured using 40x microscopy with filters that show color variations. Image titles are created based upon a visual impression each ima! ge suggests. For more information, call 460-7086. These briefs were submitted by the staff of USA Health System. Visit online at www.south-alabama.edu/usahealthsystem .

CUTLINES Courtesy of USA Dr. Richard Zweifler, medical director for the USA Stroke Center and associate professor of neurology at the USA College of Medicine, speaks out about stroke prevention at an August press conference. "Stroke prevention remains the best treatment of stroke and aggressive, ongoing public and professional education is essential in the fight to reduce stroke incidence," Zweifler said. USA partnered with the National Stroke Association in August to educate people about stroke risks.

Courtesy of USA ABOVE: Dale Smith, technical director of radiology at USA Knollwood Hospital, reviews a CT scan to calculate a calcium score. Coronary artery calcium scoring is a screening method used to detect calcium buildup in the coronary arteries caused by coronary artery disease. The calcium scoring ! exam is performed using images from a CT scanner, making it noninvasive and painless. "PERCIPIO," USA's Art in Science Program, showcases scientific data as artwork. Lectures and exhibits are planned in November.

This article reproduced with special permission from the Mobile Register.