signs of
stroke
Research to improve speech rehab
for stroke patients
Tauranga Hospital is one of two hospitals
in New Zealand taking part in one of the
largest Australasian clinical trials designed
to improve language rehabilitation for
people recovering from stroke.
FACE The Very Early Rehabilitation in Speech (VERSE) study
seeks to better understand the best way of treating
people having difficulty with speech and language
(aphasia) after having a stroke.
on one side Speech-Language Therapist Dr. Meghann Grawburg
who is leading the research at Tauranga Hospital says,
“The trial focuses on recruiting patients within the
first 14 days following a stroke. We are interested to
find out what kind of therapy and how much therapy
is needed for best recovery in the early days after a
stroke.”
Drooping
ARM
Weakness
on one side
Patients will be randomly assigned to one of three
different speech therapy treatment programmes of
various levels of intensity. Over the course of a month
they’ll go through speech therapy exercises up to five
hours a week.
A team of 11 speech therapists at Tauranga Hospital
is involved in the trial which began in May and will
continue through to December.
“We aim to have at least ten Bay of Plenty patients on
the trial. As well as language loss, the selection criteria
involves the patient having a certain level of alertness,
which in the early days after a stroke isn’t always that
common.”
Christchurch Hospital is also taking part in the trial
along with sixteen hospitals across Australia. The
VERSE Trial based at Edith Cowan University in Western
Australia aims to have 246 stroke patients participate
in the trial.
VERSE (@VERSE_Trial) | Twitter
Part of the Tauranga
Hospital Speech Therapy
team involved in one of
the largest stroke speech
therapy trials in Australasia.
Left to right: April Mora
(Student), Speech Language
Therapists: Gwen Lake,
Meghann Grawburg, Natalie
Oakley, Helen Liddall, with
Fiona Hewerdine (Speech
Language Team Leader).
SPEECH
jumbled,
slurred or
lost
TIME
to call 111
think FAST
If you see ANY of the signs, call 111 immediately.
stroke.org.nz
• Stroke is the third largest killer in
New Zealand (about 2500 people
every year). Around 10 percent
of stroke deaths occur in people
under 65.
• E
very day about 24 New Zealanders
have a stroke. A quarter occur in
people under 65.
• H
igh blood pressure is a major
cause of strokes. One in five New
Zealanders has high blood pressure,
and a third of these don’t know it.
Reducing your blood pressure can
greatly reduce stroke risk
What are the signs of stroke?
The signs and symptoms of stroke usually come on suddenly.
The type of signs experienced will depend on what area of the
brain is affected.
Common first signs of stroke include:
•Sudden weakness and/or numbness of face, arm and/or
leg especially on one side of the body
•Sudden blurred or loss of vision in one or both eyes
•Sudden difficulty speaking or understanding what others
are saying
•Sudden loss of balance or an unexplained fall or difficulty
controlling movements, especially with any of the other signs.
Concerns raised over dropping immunisation rates
Recent outbreaks and rising cases of vaccine preventable diseases such
as measles, mumps, and whooping cough across New Zealand has Toi
Te Ora – Public Health Service worried.
There has been a prolonged mumps outbreak since early 2017, centred on the Auckland
region, but with several confirmed cases reported in the Bay of Plenty. There have also been
confirmed cases of measles locally, and a national increase in the number of whooping
cough cases (pertussis). Local cases show that these diseases are a present and ongoing
risk in our community.
“I wouldn’t be relying on others being immune, with uptake at our local levels,”
says Dr Miller.
Childhood immunisations are free and it is never too late to catch up. Parents can contact
their local medical centre for an appointment for their child or to discuss immunisation.
Childhood immunisations are free. For more information call 0800 IMMUNE
(0800 466 863) or visit www.ttophs.govt.nz.
Prevention of outbreaks of these serious infectious diseases relies on having good local
uptake of immunisation, particularly amongst our children. When most children are fully
immunised (95%) the chances of significant outbreaks are greatly reduced. Immunisation
coverage for New Zealand children at two years of age is 93% for the three month period
ending March 2017. In the Bay of Plenty it is only 90%.
Worryingly, recent months have seen a gradual decline in childhood immunisation rates,
particularly in younger children, with children fully immunised at 8 months of age drifting
down over the past year to only 86%.
The District Health Board is concerned about this and is bringing in new approaches to
ensure children get the opportunity to be protected.
“Parents need to be aware that these serious illnesses are occurring in our community,
and the only sure way of reducing their risk is to check that their children are up to date with
their immunisations,” says Dr Miller.
Make sure your family is fully immunised to protect them from preventable diseases such as
measles, mumps and whooping cough.