Meet the Experts

Rosemarie Schwitzer

Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner with West Kendall Baptist Hospital

Videos

Stroke and Mini Stroke

Rosemarie Schwitzer, Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner with West Kendall Baptist Hospital, explains a mini stroke or transient ischemic attack is when a cholesterol plaque or a blood clot is causing symptoms. She says the symptoms last less than 24 hours, and when you have an MRI performed, it does not show anything. It is a precursor, it tells the patient they have to be careful and do something now.

Stroke Education Program

Rosemarie Schwitzer, Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner with West Kendall Baptist Hospital, explains she finds in the hospital a good opportunity not only to reach the patients, but also the community. She says they have an annual stroke fair to take the opportunity to provide an education to the community, whether it is family members who are there to visit patients or the patients that are being discharged on the same day.

Stroke: Disabilities

There are five main types of disabilities that strokes can cause: paralysis or problems controlling movement, sensory disturbances, trouble with language, thinking and memory problems, and emotional disturbances. Rosemarie Schwitzer, Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner with West Kendall Baptist Hospital, explains sensory disturbance will be any numbness or tingling in the face, hand and legs. She also says stroke patients need emotional support from their family members and a psychologist.

Stroke: Warning Signs

Weakness in face, arm or leg; trouble walking, loss of coordination; sudden confusion, trouble speaking; sudden trouble seeing; and sudden, severe headache are some of the warning signs for a stroke. Rosemarie Schwitzer, Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner with West Kendall Baptist Hospital, explains when the stroke is occurring, you have changes in the strength of your arm or leg. She also says if there are problems with the back of the brain, you might be veering to one side.

Diagnosis of a Stroke: FAST

FAST stands for Face, Arm, Speech and Time and it is a way to recognize if someone is having a stroke. So, you can ask the person to smile to see if the Face looks uneven; to raise both Arms and see if one arm drifts down; to repeat a phrase and notice if their Speech sounds strange. Time means that every second counts. Rosemarie Schwitzer, Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner with West Kendall Baptist Hospital, says in the hospital they say "time is brain", they want to make sure they identify, assess, and treat as soon as possible.

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