MEDICAL: How to test for a possible stroke.

[lenseman]

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

A nurse friend sent this and encouraged everyone to post it and spread the word. I totally agree.

If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. Seriously..


<u>STROKE IDENTIFICATION:</u>

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) .....she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.

Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die.... they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke... totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

<u>RECOGNISING A STROKE</u>

Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, STR.

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke .

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. It is sunny out today)
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

<span style="color:red">If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 999/911/112 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.</span>

New Sign of a Stroke -------- "Stick out Your Tongue"

NOTE: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue.. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other , that is also an indication of a stroke.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

 

[clyst]

Thats brilliant . If by posting that you save one life its a post worthwhile . Its something I shall remember .

 

[stevebrassett]

One of those "urban myths" that is basically correct.

http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/stroke.asp

 

[nedmin]

While we are on medical,my neice informed me that most paramedics know that the majority of casualties carry mobiles and a lot of people are putting ICE in there phone no. memories, ie In Case Of Emergency followed by a phone no. seems an excellent idea to me.

 

[l'escargot]

[ QUOTE ]
...<span style="color:red">If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 999/911/112 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.</span>...

[/ QUOTE ]
Don't dial 911 though, you will have a long wait for a paramedic from America; and don't ask for the dispatcher as no one will know what you are talking about!

 

[geoffatstanpit]

I'd almost forgotten about it but about 8 years ago I had a weird experience that at the time I thought "I hope that wasn't a strokey-type thing" when I found I couldn't describe what I was seeing through my binocs as a potential rescue situation was developing at the other side of the lake. I knew exactly what I wanted to say but I couldn't get my tongue round the necessary words and my brain was feeling decidedly woozy.

That was a long time ago and I've since moved down to the coast, got a Parker 21 and a Solo, gone racing, won a few trophies and looked after myself acceptably all this time and I'm not dead yet.

Maybe it is a good idea to take things a bit further if you see someone showing odd signs but I'd have been a bit miffed if I'd been carted off on the showing of a slightly lop-sided tongue or difficulty with expressing myself. Are there any more positive tests available which might avoid someone being tarred with a medical history that would make things like travel insurance hard to get?

In the meantime I'm falling to bits in other areas but hope I can get my repaired shoulder working again in time to get the antifouling on in time to defend my Easter Series trophy!

 

[lenseman]

[ QUOTE ]
Don't dial 911 though, you will have a long wait for a paramedic from America; and don't ask for the dispatcher as no one will know what you are talking about!

[/ QUOTE ]

You seem to think that everyone lives on the Isle of Wight when in fact a greater proportion of readers live somewhere else including the USA. That is why I included the three emergency numbers worldwide.

 

[lenseman]

[ QUOTE ]
One of those "urban myths" that is basically correct.

http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/stroke.asp

[/ QUOTE ]


The part I quoted is exactly correct and only the 'finger blood letting' part is wrong.

 

[lenseman]

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe it is a good idea to take things a bit further if you see someone showing odd signs but I'd have been a bit miffed if I'd been carted off on the showing of a slightly lop-sided tongue or difficulty with expressing myself. Are there any more positive tests available which might avoid someone being tarred with a medical history that would make things like travel insurance hard to get?

[/ QUOTE ]

In any medical emergency, 'Time is of the essence' and to be carted off (for free) in the UK for 'tests' is far better than ending up paralyzed and it wouldn't cause any increase in insurance if there was nothing wrong anyway, much better to be safe than sorry /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[l'escargot]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Don't dial 911 though, you will have a long wait for a paramedic from America; and don't ask for the dispatcher as no one will know what you are talking about!

[/ QUOTE ]

You seem to think that everyone lives on the Isle of Wight when in fact a greater proportion of readers live somewhere else including the USA. That is why I included the three emergency numbers worldwide.

[/ QUOTE ]
Don't be silly, even I know it would sink if everyone lived here; but the greater proportion of readers live in the UK (of which the IW is part of) and only a small percentage live in the USA - it is a UK website after all.

You didn't make a positive decision to include anything. With little thought you just chose to reproduce a common chain e mail with generic international advice, some of which would actually be wrong for the majority of readers of this forum.

911 does not work anywhere in the UK, let alone the IW, nor does the UK have "dispatchers".

 

[ningcompoop]

The Stroke Association promotes use of the acronym FAST in identifying suspected stroke, follow the link. I don't wether the STRoke thing is 'officialy' recognised in the UK, but I suppose that anything that helps people identify a potentialy very serious incident is no bad thing.

 

[narooma]

Just looked on the FAST site and the info there appears identical to that offered by Lenseman.

 

[NealB]

In the UK, you can dial 999, 112 or 911.

All will get you through to emergency services.

 

[thaxter]

Re: MEDICAL: How to test for a possible stroke.

Sorry Lescargot but Lenseman in good faith posted some excellent advice for us all.
Where it came from surely doesn't matter and you are just making a prat of yourself by making such an issue of it

 

[ningcompoop]

Yep, the FAST info is pretty much the same as that posted by lenseman.
The only bit of the tale I'd take issue with is a neurologist saying he can totaly reverse any effects if seen within 3 hours. I bet you wouldn't get many neurologists betting their lunch on that. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[l'escargot]

Re: MEDICAL: How to test for a possible stroke.

Wrong advice given in good faith is still wrong advice - the pratt will be the one who has given the wrong number to someone who needs to call the emergency services. If you don't see that as an issue that's down to you.

There are dozens of similar emails floating around that haven't been translated from American and give people the wrong information - there was one the other week telling people that you could call the emergency services from a mobile with no signal and get through to the police direct. As soon as you see "pass this email on", it is a message to the gullible "it must be right it came by email".

The sensible advice to anyone in the UK is in an emergency dial 999 - I think that is worth making an issue of.

 

[MrCramp]

Re: MEDICAL: How to test for a possible stroke.

Good info, thanks for posting it. It has made me read up a bit about strokes.

 

[NealB]

I checked with the National Police advice line.

As stated above, they tell me 999, 112, and 911 will all work in the UK.

 

[MoodySabre]

Re: MEDICAL: How to test for a possible stroke.

Lescargot "there was one the other week telling people that you could call the emergency services from a mobile with no signal and get through to the police direct." was part of something I posted with the rider that I hadn't tried it. The point was that your phone will look for other networks if yours doesn't have a signal. I still don't know if it's true! Be handy if it was and certainly worth a go - if I was out of range of Orange and facing an emergency I'd try anything.

Stroke info very useful. - hope I never need it.

 

[PilotWolf]

Re: MEDICAL: How to test for a possible stroke.

Actually the ambulance service in many parts of the country DOES have dispatchers. I m not sure about the IOW as I never worked for the NHS service when I was there but certainly Sussex, Surrey and London do (did).

W.