A referral from your doctor or nurse practitioner is required.
Program information
Aggressive treatment after a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) is extremely important in preventing a second, potentially disabling stroke. The 90 day risk of recurrent stroke after TIA is 10-20% with half of those strokes occurring within the first 2 days. Further, the 7 day risk can be as high as 36%. Timely stroke prevention medical therapy and carotid endarterectomy (CEA) have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of a major stroke after an initial TIA. The maximum benefit from CEA occurs when the surgery is completed within 2 weeks of the initial TIA; thus, leading to the urgency for assessment, testing and diagnostics.
Referrals can be sent by fax (902-543-8895) from physicians and NPs who suspect that their patient may have had a TIA.
Contact
ph: 902-543-4604 ext 2222 for more information
fax: 902-543-8895
Program Information
The Rapid Access Transient ischemic attack (TIA) and Stroke Secondary Prevention Clinic provides rapid assessment by a Nurse Practitioner (NP) of patients who have experienced transient stroke-like symptoms who present to the emergency department or in the primary health care setting.
This clinic aims to rapidly identify patients who have experienced a TIA, and streamline patients with critical stenosis of the carotid arteries to surgical evaluation to reduce the risk of stroke. Patients will receive a neurologic examination by the Nurse Practitioner.
The TIA clinic will also arrange diagnostic tests, if not already completed, such as carotid dopplers, CT scan of the head, ECG and holter monitoring and echocardiography if necessary to identify the underlying cause of their clinical presentation and treat any risk factors that could place the patient at risk of stroke.