Stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term disability. Every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke. On average, an American dies from a stroke every four minutes.
In a 2005 survey, most respondents — 93 percent — recognized sudden numbness on one side as a symptom of stroke. But only 38 percent were aware of all major symptoms and knew to call 911 when someone was having a stroke. As physicians know, patients who arrive at the emergency room within three hours of their first symptoms tend to have less disability three months after a stroke than those who received delayed care.
Evidence in a new study shows blacks are more likely to die from a stroke than whites, and that minorities in general have more disability after a stroke than non-Hispanic whites. Since the reasons for these differences are unclear, researchers sought to determine whether they might be related to 911 use.
Between October 2011 and March 2014, researchers analyzed medical records from nearly 400,000 stroke patients admitted to more than 1,600 hospitals participating in the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines-Stroke, a quality initiative to improve stroke treatment.
The records showed stroke patients were split evenly at 50 percent between men and women. And 69 percent were white, 19 percent were black, 8 percent were Hispanic and 3 percent were Asian. Average age was 71, and the majority had the most common type of stroke, which is caused by a blocked blood vessel.
The study revealed that during a stroke, slightly more than half of patients use emergency medical service (EMS) transport to get to the hospital, with white women the most likely to use EMS (62 percent). The study also showed the following:
- 58 percent of black women and men used EMS
- 57 percent of Asian women and white men used EMS
- 55.5 percent of Hispanic women and Asian men used EMS
- The group least likely to use EMS was Hispanic men, at a little more than 52 percent
According to Heidi Mochari-Greenberger, Ph.D., M.P.H., lead author of the study and associate research scientist at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, the findings of the study are critically important because a significant predictor of stroke-related disability is the time between symptom onset and medical treatment. The use of EMS transport is associated with shorter hospital arrival times.
The study results highlight a need for healthcare providers to educate patients and their families about stroke warning signs and quick action. Using the acronym FAST (face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, time to call 911), healthcare providers should talk to their patients about the importance of recognizing symptoms and advise them to call 911 immediately after noticing stroke symptoms because immediate care saves lives.
