When it comes to the identification and treatment of a Stroke, time is of the essence. For the people in 13 states and the District of Columbia, those symptoms are as foreign to them as brain surgery. It seems, thanks to the information found through a survey regarding the knowledge of stroke warning signs, that people do not know what the top 5 symptoms are.
The investigators at the CDC are concerned that the overall lack of knowledge may prevent patients from getting the treatment they need for a stroke in a timely manner. For a patient that is having a stroke, the first three hours are critical and without a knowledge of the warning signs and symptoms, those hours could pass without treatment, thus affecting the chance of a complete recovery.
The survey consisted of a question and answer forum for 72,000 participants. They were all asked if a given symptom was identifying of a stroke. The symptoms on the list were:
- Sudden Confusion
- Trouble Speaking
- Sudden Numbness of the Face
- Weakness of the Face
- Weakness in an Extremity
- Numbness of an Extremity
- Sudden Difficulty in Vision
- Sudden Trouble Walking
- Dizziness
- Loss of Balance
- Extreme Headache
Of all the participants, less than 50% found the top 5 symptoms of an impending or occurring stroke. As a safeguard to participants answering 100% of the questions “YES”, the participants were asked various other questions including ones about symptoms that were not stroke symptoms. Sixty percent of these questions were answered correctly.
The survey went on to ask participants whether or not they would call 9-1-1 if any of the symptoms were identified and almost 90% of the voters said they would dial 9-1-1. But, the trouble does not lie within the calling of emergency services, the trouble lies with the fact that only 16% of the participants answered correctly on all three phases of the survey.
