“Within how many hours of getting a stroke should one be admitted in the hospital?”
My friend died of a severe stroke and it left us all extremely shocked. Could this have been prevented? When should someone exhibiting symptoms of a stroke be admitted to a hospital?
3 Answers
All stroke patients should be evaluated ASAP.
The answer is the sooner, the better. A very useful mnemonic comes to play when you face somebody with a potential stroke: BE FAST - B stands for balance loss, E for eye blindness, F for face drooping, A for arm weakness, S for speech abnormality, and T (the most important) for TIME. Immediately after you notice any signs of BE FAST, take care of T.
The most effective treatment with a clot buster is available within 3 hrs. It needs to be administered IV, so don't delay calling 911, every minute counts. The sooner within the 3-hr window the patient receives the IV treatment, the better the outcome and some of the deficits like speech, balance, vision, strength, and sensation can be restored completely. Some people are candidates for this treatment within 4.5 hrs, so, if not sure, bring the patient to the hospital and tell EMS that you are suspecting a stroke, so the hospital stroke team will be ready for you at the door.
These days, we can manage stroke up 24 hrs from the onset with the removal of the clot with special devices that are inserted into the occluded artery. The results are very good, but not every patient is a candidate for that. So, if the time is over 3 hrs from the symptom onset, or the patient woke up from sleep with the symptoms, still bring the patient to the ER and inform EMS it is a stroke and the stroke team needs to be notified.
Remember, BE FAST!
The most effective treatment with a clot buster is available within 3 hrs. It needs to be administered IV, so don't delay calling 911, every minute counts. The sooner within the 3-hr window the patient receives the IV treatment, the better the outcome and some of the deficits like speech, balance, vision, strength, and sensation can be restored completely. Some people are candidates for this treatment within 4.5 hrs, so, if not sure, bring the patient to the hospital and tell EMS that you are suspecting a stroke, so the hospital stroke team will be ready for you at the door.
These days, we can manage stroke up 24 hrs from the onset with the removal of the clot with special devices that are inserted into the occluded artery. The results are very good, but not every patient is a candidate for that. So, if the time is over 3 hrs from the symptom onset, or the patient woke up from sleep with the symptoms, still bring the patient to the ER and inform EMS it is a stroke and the stroke team needs to be notified.
Remember, BE FAST!
As soon as possible. Brain is time.
