LEXIE Provides Latest in Stroke Treatment

The newest technological advance in stroke victim care and the first of its kind in North Carolina arrived ready for action December 1 in Lexington Memorial’s Emergency Department.

Named “LEXIE” – short for Lexington’s Intralinked Expert, the new InTouch RP-7 telemedicine robot is part of the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center Comprehensive Stroke Center’s telemedicine network. Lexington Memorial is the first health care facility in the Wake Forest network and the state to receive such a system.

LEXIE makes it possible for one of the five WFUBMC neurologists specializing in stroke treatment to be in Lexington almost instantly. Dr. Charles Tegler, professor of neurology and the director of the Stroke Center at WFUBMC, explains that the robot is a two-way audio and video link between stroke victims, the doctors treating them and stroke specialists. Those specialists can determine what type of stroke the patient is experiencing and the best treatment.

In the case of a stroke, the faster the patient is treated, the better chance he or she has of recovery with little or no disability. The longer the stroke goes untreated, the more the likelihood of damage to the brain due to a lack of blood flow. The Telestroke Network avoids losing vital treatment time which can occur during transport from one facility to another. The biggest benefit for stroke patients is for those who are candidates for Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA), a treatment that clears blood clots in vessels leading to the brain. The drug has to be administered within three hours of symptoms to work.

As Dr. Tegler explains Lexington Memorial is only about a 40 minute drive from WFUBMC, but patient transport preparations make the trip longer. Using the robot, stroke specialists can connect to the system, assess the patient, talk with physicians and decide whether tPA is the preferred treatment option—saving critical time in a very narrow window of opportunity.

The system allows LMH Emergency physicians almost immediate access to a stroke specialist. When a stroke patient arrives in the LMH ED, the physician will make a phone call to activate the stroke paging system. A WFUBMC neurologist then logs onto the telemedicine network remotely and begins to interact remotely through the robot. The neurologist can be at home or in another facility and still connect to the robot miles away.

Dr. Tegler explains that the robot actually provides eyes and ears so that the stroke specialist can physically observe the patient and interact with the physicians. It also enables the stroke specialist to observe aspects of the physical exam and view images and scans if appropriate. Lexie comes equipped with a telephone so doctors on both sides of the link can talk privately. It also features a stethoscope which enables the remote neurologist to hear patient vital signs.

WFUBMC is working with other area community hospitals in an effort to add them to the Stroke Telemedicine network

Jonathan Bailey, Director of WFUBMC’s Neurology Department, said that not only does telemedicine mean faster treatment for patients; it also keeps the patient close to home and family during recovery. “The presence of friends and family is critical for the speed and degree of patient recovery,” he said. “The remote system makes it possible for smaller hospitals in the WFUBMC network to provide the best stroke treatment to patients.”

In addition to the Telestroke network, neurologists with Johnson Neurological Clinic will continue to be a valuable part of the Lexington Memorial medical team and will be available for stroke consults and treatment when on site.

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