Stroke: When Minutes Count
The best response to make is a rapid one. If you experience one or more
of the warning signs of stroke:
- sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on
one side of the body
- sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
- sudden difficulty seeing in one or both eyes
- dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- sudden, severe headache with no known cause
Call 911 immediately. Don't wait, hoping the symptoms will pass.
The vast majority of strokes are caused by clots or particles that
block blood flow to the brain. Thirty years ago, medical science was
unable to dislodge or dissolve the blockage but effective treatments are
now available. Today's options include aggressive medical, surgical and
radiological responses, including clot-busting drugs that can dissolve a
clot before any lasting damage occurs. The key is time: the earlier you
get to the emergency department, the more treatment options are available
and the greater the likelihood that you will not suffer lasting effects of
the stroke.
At The Miriam Hospital, the emergency department sees about 10 stroke
victims per week. On average, nine hours have passed between the first
symptoms of stroke and the patient's arrival in the ED. Some people don't
understand they're having symptoms, some may experience subtle symptoms,
while others hope the symptoms will disappear with time. Nine hours is too
long to wait. By then, treatment options have narrowed-and full recovery
is less likely.
You wouldn't wait if you felt the symptoms of a heart attack. Nor
should you wait if you think you may be having a stroke. If people seek
treatment within three hours of the first onset of symptoms, physicians
have more options to fight strokes.
The American Heart Association has launched a campaign to change the
way people react to stroke. The medical community needs to inform the
public of the symptoms of stroke. It must also educate the public that
prompt recognition and treatment of a "brain attack" is no less
important than for a heart attack. Both can be life threatening, both are
treatable-and both should trigger a quick response.
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