Our Comprehensive Stroke Research Center (Director, Andrei V. Alexandrov, M.D.) has a 24-7-365 Stroke Team and Neuro-Endovascular Interventional Service, pre-hospital notification from Birmingham Regional EMS paramedics (BREMSS), and Level I UAB Emergency Department. Our Multi-disciplinary Team evaluates approximately 220 hyperacute (< 6 hrs from symptom onset) patients with cerebral ischemia in one year. Our current intravenous TPA treatment rate is 14% of consecutive hyperacute ischemic stroke admissions with 60% of these patients being treated under 2 hours from symptom onset (median NIHSS 12, range 4-27 points). Our Team also accepts transfers from other institutions that provide us an additional 10% of patients receiving primary intra-arterial thrombectomy or combined IV-IA rescue procedures.

Ethnicity / gender of hyperacute stroke patients are as follows:

• Caucasian 55%
• African American 43%
• Hispanic 1%
• Other 1%
• Women 48%.

The Comprehensive Stroke Research Center (CSRC) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is an interdisciplinary program specializing in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of stroke and stroke-related disorders. The CSRC integrates the latest in medical technology with a multi-faceted approach including:

Vascular and Critical Care Neurology Service An inpatient service dedicated exclusively to stroke victims and critically ill neurologic patients, staffed by a team of neurologists and nurse specialists (the UAB Stroke Team) harbors patients admitted to the West Pavilion of the UAB Hospital. This houses a 64-bed combined Neurology-Neurosurgery pair of wards (M8 & P8), as well as a 26-bed Neurointensive Care Unit. Since 1995, the Comprehensive Stroke Research Center has been operating a dedicated Neurovascular Ultrasound Laboratory. This is located adjacent to the inpatient wards, for instant access to extracranial and transcranial ultrasound/Doppler studies.

Outpatient Services Risk stratification and follow-up via the Stroke Outpatient Clinic, a division of The Kirklin Clinic at UAB Medical Center.

Diagnostic Services A comprehensive approach to the evaluation of cerebrovascular disorders, including MRI/MRA, CT, SPECT, cerebral catheterization and angiography, and the Neurovascular Ultrasound Laboratory.