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Video: Emergency Room Stroke Exam with a Webcam

blog.wired.com — If a stroke specialist can see and hear their patient, zoom in on their pupils and facial muscles, and ask them questions, they are far more likely to offer the right advice. In fact, experts who examined patients with the webcam made the right decision 98 percent of the time, compared to 82 percent when they simply talked to the emergency room doc

Who dugg this? Made popular Aug 11, 2008

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39 Comments

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  • majordanger, on 08/11/2008, -2/+13Remote medical advice just got better because of broadband internet access and $50 webcams. I would like to see this technology expand to allow instant 2nd and 3rd opinions.
  • Oea420, on 08/11/2008, -1/+11***** you, two of my friends really DID die of a stroke


    *****
  • inactive, on 08/11/2008, -2/+6I work in IT for a hospital and we've been using a solution like this for our Neurologists for a while now... they love it. Saving the time required by the doctors to drive in from home or even walk from the parking lot to the ER before they can get eyes on the patient is more than enough to change someone's life for the better. With a stroke, time is EVERYTHING.
  • Chaulis, on 08/11/2008, -0/+3A stroke blocks off certain abilities of the brain, in order to test to see if these abilities such as motor control and speech, are intact they ask the patient to run through a series of tests.
  • Staticbursts, on 08/11/2008, -3/+6For those who don't know, us laypersons typically asses whether or not a person is having a stroke by asking him or her to smile (assessing for facial droop), hold his/her arms for 10 seconds (looking for weakness on one side), and repeat a sentence (for slurred speech). If you think that yourself or somebody you know if experiencing any of these symptoms please do not hesitate to call 911.
  • wildsnake, on 08/11/2008, -0/+3I doubt this guy had a stroke. I am no doctor (have doctors in the family), but headache and sweating are not possible signs for strokes. Normal people have morning headaches (tension, food the night before) and people sweat because of anxiety, maybe it was hot. Excessive sweating can mean heart problem along with tightening of the chest.
  • mithrasinvictus, on 08/11/2008, -0/+3indian callcenter doctors?
  • themastersb, on 08/11/2008, -0/+2***** you, two of my friend's ***** died from a stroke.
  • wildsnake, on 08/11/2008, -0/+1The techology is already here. Have the doctors log into JTV, Stickam or Ustream and do a multicam chat. oh, forgot JTV doesn't have multicams option
  • flashback99, on 08/11/2008, -2/+3"experts who examined patients with the webcam made the right decision 98 percent of the time, compared to 82 percent when they simply talked to the emergency room doctor by phone."

    webcams save lives!
  • idiggitall, on 08/11/2008, -0/+1She poked him in the eye!
  • themastersb, on 08/11/2008, -0/+1I AM ERROR
  • fuzzybeard, on 08/11/2008, -2/+3Second opinion: You're ugly.
    Third opinion: Your insurance claim has been declined for failure to obtain preauthorization.
  • Zique, on 08/11/2008, -0/+1Am I the only one who gets the parody of the "what are you, 13" -line?
  • wildsnake, on 08/11/2008, -1/+2you don't have to be 80. My friend at work had a stroke, he was 40. He said in the stroke ward, there are people in their teens who already had stokes
  • ghuytro, on 08/11/2008, -1/+2This saved my mom in January. Nearest neurologist to the small town (15,000 people) hospital she was in was 2 hours away. She was given the anti-clotting drug immediately after the stroke diagnosis. She's still weak (but getting better) but she has her full faculties and can move all extremities and can walk.
  • cnosal, on 08/11/2008, -2/+3"wouldn't it be better if (I dunno) the physicians in the ED were better trained to make the call?"

    The tech would mainly benefit rural areas, where they're less likely to have the right specialist on call/in town.
  • swazo, on 08/11/2008, -1/+2i was thinking id like to see this in third world countries.
  • res8qr6m, on 08/11/2008, -0/+1BTW, that hot chick was Mira Sorvino.
  • inactive, on 08/11/2008, -2/+2Your Mom Died of From a Stroke


    *****
  • creatunity, on 12/12/2008, -0/+0That is very interesting. I wonder if people just feel more comfortable talking to a webcam versus their doctor?

    http://www.acaiberrymd.com
  • andywu92, on 08/11/2008, -1/+1ERROR: COMMENT ABOVE NOT FUNNY AND MISUSE OF CAPS
  • Palaceguard, on 08/11/2008, -1/+1Moron. What does it have to do with phone support? Go here and look how webcams work. The medical profession will use a private channel ties into the medical network. Probably will have dedicated PC in the ER or Doctors office. So doctors can view the patients. But basically it will work the same like stickam.

    http://www.stickam.com/leolaporte

  • Staticbursts, on 08/17/2008, -0/+0You're probably right, but I guess that it doesn't really hurt to be checked out by doctors just in case :) no reason to not be too careful when it comes to your own health or the health of loved ones.
  • RevAradia, on 08/11/2008, -0/+0Gee. Cool. Now docs don't have to see you at ALL. No seriously I think it's great for rural small town people who don't have easy access to medical assistance.
  • JHarrison23, on 11/30/2008, -0/+0Haha a webcam that is saving lives, awesome :)

    http://www.Total-Cleanse.org
  • theguesser10, on 08/11/2008, -2/+1And then give the sieg hiel?
  • wilf_brim, on 08/11/2008, -2/+1I suppose that seeing the patients helped, but wouldn't it be better if (I dunno) the physicians in the ED were better trained to make the call? They exam shown here is a pretty basic, standard neurological assessment for CVA (stroke) and should be (and is) part of the basic competencies of an ED doc. I suppose, though, getting a second opinion before administering a thrombolytic (that can cause intracranial bleeding that makes the patient much worse than had you done nothing) isn't an awful idea.
    BTW, I thought the patient was exhibited a touch of left sided weakness (but he had a history of prior CVA, and we only saw part of the assessment). Probably not enough to justify the risks.

    And almost buried for the UCSD ER. Bad memories of that place. [shivers]
  • jsebooth, on 08/11/2008, -2/+0This reminds me of a House episode, except the UCSD was Antarctica and the patient was a hot chick.
  • kyletehgreat, on 08/11/2008, -3/+1Show me your teeth
  • torchednoodle, on 08/11/2008, -3/+1what are you, 80
  • xXTzimisceXx, on 08/11/2008, -3/+0LOL. . . what next out-sourced doctors and long wait time on the phone, like computer support?

    Phone: we apologize for the delay but a technician, I mean doctor will be with you shortly.
    Stroke victim: ooohhhh sshhhhiiitttt *drool and speaking from one side of his mouth*
    Phone: Good afternoon, my name is doctor "sam" *with an Indian accent*

    no offense to stroke victims but i believe no one wants to see doctor visits be reduced to this.
  • norm7, on 08/11/2008, -12/+5ERROR: CANNOT FIND APPROPRIATE MEME FOR HILARIOUS COMMENT
  • torchednoodle, on 08/11/2008, -9/+1***** you, two of my friends died of stroke.
  • juliohm, on 08/10/2008, -13/+4Burried for the lack of a sexy nurse.
  • SoyChemist, on 08/10/2008, -16/+2Does anyone else find it strange that they asked a black guy to show them his teeth, make a fist as if he were giving the black power sign, and then say mamma?

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