STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters… S.T.R.

The advice given in this post appears to be sound, although it need be pointed out that it has yet to be endorsed by the American Stroke Association.

It only takes a minute to read this…
With timely treatment, the risk of death and disability from stroke can be lowered. It is very important to know the symptoms of a stroke and act in time. The trick is getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

It is now possible that a layperson (bystander) can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S. Ask the individual to SMILE.
T. Ask the person to TALK TO SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e. It is sunny out today)
R. Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

It is important laypeople learn to recognize such events, because a new drug has been shown to limit disability from strokes caused by clots (ischemic) provided victims receive it within three hours of the onset of stroke symptoms. Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is a clot-busting drug administered intravenously in cases of ischemic stroke; however, only one in fifty stroke patients has a chance of this drug helping them because currently only 2 percent of them reach an emergency room in time for tPA to be given.

Published
Categorized as Troy

1 comment

  1. Pingback: bitacle.org

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.