Swedish Medical Center Participates in Major International Stroke Study

Englewood, CO, July 19, 2020 --(PR.com)-- Swedish Medical Center has participated in a groundbreaking study that offers promise for extending the treatment time for stroke victims. Current best practice is that a major stroke victim must receive care within three hours of the stroke. Swedish Medical Center, led by Dr. Don Frei, participated in a research study that showed promise for an experimental neuroprotective drug, combined with a surgical procedure to remove the clot, that could extend the treatment time for acute ischemic stroke patients. There is evidence the drug promotes brain cell survival, offering neuroprotection until the clot can be extracted.

“The research indicated that the neuroprotective drug given to those outside of the three-hour window can freeze the core and slow down the growth of the stroke,” stated Dr. Frei. “This gives more time for physicians to treat the stroke patient and open up the affected artery. The drug offers the potential for a stroke patient arrives for treatment outside of the three-hour window to walk out of the hospital instead of suffering long-term or permanent paralysis.”

This study was the largest study ever conducted for stroke patients involving over 1105 patients. Swedish Medical Center was one of the U.S. centers participating in the international study. The results from the study was published in the Lancet Medical Journal.

Dr Frei, Director of Neurointerventional Surgery at Swedish Medical and past president of the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery, was a primary investigator for the study. “Swedish Medical Center was chosen for the study because of its reputation as one of the best stroke centers in the world,” added Dr. Frei. “Swedish has extremely fast time metrics for the treatment of stroke and one of the highest incidents of independence at 90 days for major stroke victims.” Swedish was the seventeenth hospital in the country certified as a comprehensive stroke center and is the third busiest hospital for stroke patients in the United States.

Learn why it’s important to choose a comprehensive stroke center. Visit SwedishHospital.com/stroke.

About Swedish

Swedish Medical Center is located in the south metro Denver area where it has been a proud member of the community for more than 110 years. An acute care hospital with 408 licensed beds, annually Swedish cares for more than 200,000 patients with a team of approximately 2,000 dedicated employees, 300 volunteers and 1,400 physicians.

With stroke door to treatment times averaging just 20 minutes, Swedish serves as the Rocky Mountain Region’s referral center for the most advanced stroke treatment, and was the state’s first Joint Commission certified Comprehensive Stroke Center. Swedish also serves as the region’s neurotrauma and orthopedic trauma provider and is a level I trauma facility with a dedicated burn and reconstructive center. Over 150 facilities regularly transfer highly complex cases to Swedish.

Swedish Medical Center is proud to be a part of the HCA Healthcare’s Continental Division, which includes HealthONE, named the #1 large hospital system in the United States by IBM Watson Health as part of the 15 Top Health Systems recognition process. And, as the #7 corporate philanthropist in the Denver-metro area, and the only hospital system in the top 10, HealthONE contributed more than $1.6 million in 2019 and supports over 150 organizations through cash and in-kind donations. Additional information is available at www.SwedishHospital.com.