- Cerebral Vascular Disease is the second leading cause of death in the world.
- The IMSS Brain Code program seeks to establish an immediate clinical diagnosis for patients.
- Also corroborate the diagnosis with imaging studies and provide treatment in the first hour after being admitted to the emergency room.
The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) incorporated the pilot program Brain Code to Comprehensive Care Protocols (PAI). The objective is to implement health promotion actions, identify risk factors to prevent patients from having the disease and reduce mortality and disability rates by a stroke.
In the framework of world brain daywhich is commemorated every July 22, the head of the Neurology service of the Specialty Hospital of the National Medical Center (CMN) Siglo XXI, Dr. Alejandra Calderón Vallejo, explained that actions focused on the three levels of care are implemented through the EPI to promote healthy lifestyles.
“In the case of the first level of care, the preventive measures that are promoted include: a balanced diet, regular exercise, early detection and treatment of diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia, avoiding smoking, in addition to having an adequate body mass index ”.
He referred that in the second level of attention the strategies are focused on the acute treatment of the patient who already has a Cerebral vascular event (EVC). In addition, also control risk factors in those patients who have not yet developed the disease.
He added that the High Specialty Medical Units (UMAE) handle the most complicated cases, ranging from swelling of the brain until a surgical procedure.
What is Brain Code?
Dr. Calderón Vallejo explained that the strategy Brain Code seeks to establish a clinical diagnosis to patients suffering from EVC. Also corroborate the diagnosis with imaging studies and provide treatment in the first hour after being admitted to the emergency room.
The patients who can receiving thrombolysis treatment are within the first 4.5 hours of symptom onset.
Once these elements are gathered, guidelines will be established to provide a prompt intervention through an intravenous medication that dissolves the clot and obstructs some of the arteries of the brain, in what is known as fibrinolytic therapy.
“Currently in our country we have many units that already treat patients with cerebral infarction but the objective of the project is that we standardize the way in which we all do it based on the best quality and care strategies dictated by national regulations” .
Hospitals where the program is available
Dr. Calderón Vallejo indicated that the program Brain Code it was implemented in a pilot phase at the CMN Siglo XXI Specialty Hospital. The intention is to add medical units and hospitals from the IMSS Representation in South Mexico City to integrate a care network, and later expand its coverage.
“This pilot program will begin in two Family Medicine Units of the IMSS representation in South Mexico City, in the Regional General Hospital number 1 “Dr. Carlos Mac Gregor Sánchez Navarro”, the General Hospitals of the Zone (HGZ) number 32, 47 and Troncoso, all of them coordinated by the UMAE of Specialties of the CMN Siglo XXI”.
The IMSS neurologist reported that the Cerebral Vascular Disease It is the second cause of death in the world and the first cause of disability in adults. For this reason, it is necessary to prevent and control diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity and smoking, but, above all, go immediately to the IMSS Emergency Services in case of signs such as: deviation of the mouth, difficulty speaking or understanding what we say and weakness in the middle of the body.