Monday, February 13, 2017

LUCOM starts Grand Rounds

Wed, 15 Feb 2017Asa Keimig | LUCOM Marketing and PR Coordinator

Carl R. Hoegerl, DO, chair and associate professor of Neurology, Liberty University College of Osteopathic MedicineLiberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) hosted Grand Rounds for the first-time last month and featured LUCOM faculty member, Carl R. Hoegerl, DO, chair and associate professor of Neurology.

Grand Rounds is an important part of medical education that is used as a teaching tool for student-doctors, residents, and practicing physicians. It is a chance for a hospital or, in this case, a medical school to host a speaker to present something new happening in the medical field. Dr. Hoegerl spoke to over 40 student-doctors and faculty members.

He spoke about the newest guidelines for acute stroke treatment, the latest treatment guidelines for Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) and rehabilitation, how the apply the newest guidelines for cryptogenic stroke, and the newest guidelines for Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) treatment.

He discussed the timeline for treating strokes, and identified three critical steps to successful outcomes for Ischemic Stroke Patients. Those steps were: rapidly identifying a stroke, immediately using Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to transport patient to closest stroke center, and the use of intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV r-tPA) within four and a half hours of a stroke. By following these three steps, patients are almost two times more likely to have a favorable outcome. In 2015, a major study was revealed that tissue plasminogen activator (tPA also known as IV rtPA) has the potential to revolutionize the way to treat a stroke while currently being the only Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatment for an ischemic stroke.

The final topic that Dr. Hoegerl talked about was PFO treatment. A PFO is a small hole in the heart that doesn’t close the way it should after someone is born.

“About twenty percent of the population have a PFO,” said Dr. Hoegerl. “It doesn’t cause a problem unless it is quite large.”  He referenced a recent guideline published in 2016 by the American Academy of Neurology which noted that ninety-nine percent of PFOs didn’t need to be closed and questioned whether the procedure was indicated.

The next Grand Rounds is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 9, at noon, at the Center for Medical and Health Sciences (CMHS) and will feature Andrew Behnke, MD, who will speak on “Cardiovascular Effects of Diabetes Medication.”