If you think you are having a stroke, you should seek medical help immediately. Call 911. Do not delay.

Within five minutes of admission to Albert Einstein Medical Center's Emergency Room–located on the same campus as MossRehab–stroke patients have their medical history taken and are directed to the most appropriate care. Treatment may include medications that can minimize or even reverse the effects of the stroke.

Albert Einstein Medical Center was one of the early research sites for the enzyme t-PA, the first effective emergency therapy for stroke. Studies have shown that patients who receive t-PA are 30 percent more likely to have little or no disability after three months than those who do not receive this treatment soon after the stroke. The drug is now widely used as emergency treatment for stroke.

However, t-PA must be given within three hours of the start of stroke symptoms–and only after a full medical evaluation and CAT scan, both of which take time in any emergency room. So, if you think you are having a stroke, don't delay. It's important to call 911 immediately.