When a patient is admitted to hospital with a suspected stroke, doctors need to make quick and accurate decisions.
The most important tool for this is imaging.
Only through imaging can it be determined:
what type of stroke it is
which part of the brain is affected
how severe the damage is
whether the patient can receive modern treatment
The European scientific project VALIDATE, presented as part of Brain Awareness Week, focuses on this key point in the diagnosis.
Why imaging is crucial
A stroke can be of two main types:
ischemic stroke – caused by a blockage of a blood vessel
hemorrhagic stroke – caused by a cerebral hemorrhage
The treatment of the two types is completely different.
Therefore, the first task of doctors is to determine exactly what type of stroke has occurred.
This is done through brain imaging – most commonly:
computed tomography (CT)
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
What the VALIDATE project is investigating
The VALIDATE project analyzes large sets of medical images and clinical data from stroke patients.
The goal is to evaluate how different approaches to analyzing imaging studies can help:
more accurate assessment of brain damage
better treatment choice
a more realistic prognosis for recovery
These analyses can help doctors more accurately recognize cases in which the patient can benefit from modern treatment.
The challenge facing Bulgaria – specialists
In Bulgaria, access to imaging equipment has improved in recent years.
More and more hospitals have:
computed tomography
magnetic resonance imaging
angiographic equipment
But the availability of equipment is not enough.
The President of the Association for Stroke and Aphasia, Eng. Dorina Dobreva, emphasizes:
"The main challenge remains human resources. The preparation of specialists in imaging diagnostics requires many years of training and practice. At the same time, more and more medical institutions are experiencing difficulties in providing such personnel."
Working solutions - the example from Pernik
In Bulgaria, there are already examples of effective use of modern technologies and an expert network.
One of them is the cooperation between the Rakhila Angelova Hospital - Pernik and the St. Anna University Hospital - Sofia.
In this model:
Scan imaging studies are analyzed with modern analytical tools
Images are sent for expert verification in Sofia
In case of suspicion of a large vascular stroke, patients are referred to a specialized center
AIA Deputy Chairman Dr. Georgi Georgiev explains:
“This model allows for a faster accurate diagnosis. When a blockage of a large cerebral vessel is detected, patients can be quickly transported to Sofia, where the most experienced mechanical thrombectomy team in the country works.”
Why this is important
In modern stroke treatment, time is of the essence.
The faster the accurate diagnosis is made, the greater the chance that the patient will receive the most appropriate treatment.
Projects such as VALIDATE show how better analysis of imaging information can help make more accurate medical decisions.
The message of the day
Modern equipment is just the beginning – accurate diagnosis depends on the experience and knowledge of specialists.
#BrainAwarenessWeek
#PreventStroke
#VALIDATE
#StrokeResearch
#AtrialFibrillation
