Advanced stroke imaging in Durham Region is now available at Lakeridge Health’s Ajax Pickering and Oshawa hospitals, giving care teams more information when time-sensitive treatment decisions are required.
Lakeridge Health announced Monday that its stroke teams have begun using CT Perfusion with RapidAI. CT Perfusion is a specialized scan that shows blood flow through the brain, while RapidAI uses artificial intelligence to analyze the images quickly.
Imaging helps identify tissue that may be saved
A stroke caused by a blood clot can interrupt blood and oxygen flow to the brain. The imaging can help physicians distinguish areas that may already be damaged from tissue that could still be saved through treatment.
Lakeridge Health already administers clot-busting medication in appropriate acute-stroke cases. The added imaging will help guide that therapy and identify patients who may benefit from a procedure that physically removes a clot.
When that procedure is needed, scan results can support a faster decision to transfer the patient to a regional stroke centre in Toronto.
First local access in Durham
The hospital system says this is the first time CT Perfusion with RapidAI has been available in Durham Region. Chief of Staff Dr. Randy Wax said it allows more care to begin closer to home while patients remain connected to specialized stroke centres when necessary.
Lorel Morrison, program director for diagnostic imaging and lab, said the technology gives clinical teams more detailed information to support safe decisions alongside their expertise.
The advanced stroke imaging in Durham Region is intended to shorten the path from assessment to appropriate treatment when every minute can affect the outcome.
