Stroke victims slow to act

By Melissa Healy

Los Angeles Times

A three-year study of 57,000 stroke victims has found troubling evidence that, despite widespread awareness campaigns, many people experiencing symptoms of stroke do not act quickly enough to avert damage and disability.

In a report released last week, a national registry of patients who had a stroke between 2005 and 2007 has found that nearly 40 percent used private transportation to get to a hospital ER rather than calling 911.

Bad decision, because as every neurologist will tell you: Time is brain. Only 20 percent got to a hospital within two hours of the onset of stroke symptoms, including weakness on one side of the body, sudden vision problems, confusion, and difficulty speaking or understanding.

Comments

Posted 12:12 PM, 11/22/2009

darrylscherer

at first sign of a stroke i went immediately to the hospital after 36 hours i was discharged with a prescription for dizzy spells and a bill for eleven thousand dollars three months later a had a major stroke now my right is weak moral of the story immediatley go to a good hospital with experienced doctors