Stroke is an emergency; BE FASTT, Parkland experts advise
Nearly 800,000 Americans suffered a stroke in 2016
The person may appear drunk, groggy or confused. They may feel nauseated or have vision problems, hiccups, bad headache, pain in their chest, face or legs, shortness of breath or rapid heartbeat. The many symptoms of stroke can mimic common health problems. But when they come on suddenly, doctors say, they could signal serious trouble.
“A stroke is a medical emergency and time is of the essence to save lives and save brain function,” said Alejandro Magadan, MD, Stroke Program Medical Director at Parkland Health & Hospital System and assistant professor of Neurology & Neurotherapeutics at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “If you or someone you’re with has any of these sudden warning signs, call 911 immediately.”
Sometimes called a brain attack, a stroke occurs when a clot blocks the supply of blood to the brain or a blood vessel in the brain bursts. Stroke is the leading cause of disability in America and the fifth-leading cause of death according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and about 800,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.
For every minute a stroke continues untreated, about 2 million nerve cells die, Dr. Magadan said. “In most cases of stroke, we only have 3 to 4 hours to safely deliver clot-busting drugs and 6 to 8 hours after symptoms begin to perform surgery to extract the clot.”
May is Stroke Awareness Month and stroke experts at Parkland say it’s a good time to review why you need to “BE FASTT” in a stroke emergency. The acronym is a reminder of common stroke symptoms:
• Balance: Do they have a sudden loss of balance?
• Eyes: Do they have a sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes?
• Facial droop: When they smile, does one side of their face droop?
• Arm drift: When they raise both arms, does one arm drift downward?
• Slurred speech: When they repeat a sentence, are any of the words slurred?
• Terrible headache: Do they have a sudden, severe headache with other neurological deficits?
• Time is key: If a person shows any of the above symptoms, call 911.
“We know that 80 percent of strokes can be prevented by controlling risk factors such as high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, which is a type of irregular heartbeat, smoking, diabetes and high cholesterol,” said Jennifer Cross, RN, MSN, ACNS-BC, Parkland Stroke Program Coordinator. “Avoiding smoking and drinking too much alcohol, eating a balanced diet, and getting exercise are all choices you can make to reduce your risk.”
As a state-designated stroke facility, Parkland is one of the few local hospitals providing continuous 24-hour advanced stroke care for both hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke. The state of Texas determines eligibility for designation as a primary stroke center based on whether the facility is in good standing with The Joint Commission, an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies U.S. healthcare organizations and programs. The state requires its primary stroke centers to maintain Joint Commission stroke center certification, which Parkland first obtained in 2008.
To learn more about Parkland services, visit www.parklandhospital.com
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