Would You Call 911 If You Witnessed a Stroke?

National survey says: only 40% of U.S. adults who have witnessed a stroke called 911 as their first reaction

GUEST: Sheryl Martin-Schild, M.D., Ph.D., LERN Stroke Medical Director and Medical Director of Neurology & Stroke for the New Orleans East Hospital and Touro Infirmary

Background: As the COVID-19 pandemic developed early this year, a concerning pattern emerged. Data from 5 major healthcare systems show that as COVID-19 caseloads spiked, emergency department visits decreased by more than 40%. Now, as we continue to experience a resurgence of the virus in parts of the country, we’re starting to see this trend resume.

But even during a pandemic, medical emergencies, such as stroke and heart attack, can be life-threatening and demand immediate attention. While the idea of witnessing a stroke can be scary, healthcare providers, including Dr. Sheryl Martin-Schild, are urging people to call 911 and seek immediate medical attention for emergencies, like stroke, and want you to know that they are working tirelessly to provide the best care possible for all of their patients.

Many of you may believe you are already knowledgeable about stroke, but according to a nationwide survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults, over half of all respondents falsely believe that the signs of stroke come on slowly over a day or two. In fact, stroke symptoms come on suddenly and require immediate emergency care, but only 1 in 5 respondents could recognize 10 signs and symptoms of stroke.

The signs of stroke can sometimes be subtle and hard to recognize, so educating yourself and others is key to noticing and responding quickly. A good first step is familiarizing yourself with the acronym BE FAST, which stands for Balance, Eyes, Face, Arm, Speech and Time. The sudden onset of any of these signs could mean that someone is having a stroke, so it’s important to BE FAST and call 911 right away when you suspect a stroke.

For more information about the signs, symptoms and risk factors for stroke, visit www.strokeawareness.com

Did You Know?

• Stroke can be disabling or even fatal, and it does not stop during a global health pandemic.
• A stroke can happen to anyone, of any age, at any time.
• According to a report from the American Heart Association, in more than 60% of stroke cases, someone other than the patient made the decision to seek medical treatment.
• According to a nationwide survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults, only 1 in 5 U.S. adults are able to recognize 10 signs and symptoms of a stroke.
• Nearly 70% of survey respondents say they are knowledgeable about stroke, yet 62% falsely believe that the signs of stroke come on slowly over a day or two.
• Only 40% of survey respondents who have witnessed a stroke called 911 as their first reaction.
• There are some stroke risk factors within your control, including making healthy lifestyle choices, regular exercise, limiting alcohol use and not smoking or using tobacco products.

SUGGESTED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

• What is a stroke?
• How common is stroke and who is at risk?
• Can you describe some of the signs of stroke and how our listeners can easily remember them?
• Why is recognizing the ‘sudden onset’ of symptoms important?
• Why is it so important to not hesitate and call 911 at the first sign of stroke?
• What is your reaction to the outcomes of the survey that states only 40% of U.S. adults who have witnessed a stroke called 911 as their first reaction?
• What would you say to people who are afraid to go to the hospital, fearing exposure to COVID-19?
• What precautions are hospitals/physicians taking to decrease the risk of coronavirus exposure to patients coming in for other medical emergencies?
• Is stroke preventable? What are some of the common risk factors people should be aware of?
• As seemingly mild symptoms can still lead to disabling deficits, what advice can you give to people who may be hesitant about calling 911?
• If our listeners or someone they know is having a stroke, what is the most important action to take?
• Where can people go to learn more about stroke?

For more information about stroke, visit www.strokeawareness.com

More About Dr. Sheryl Martin-Schild:

Dr. Martin-Schild graduated from the Tulane University School of Medicine, while also obtaining her PhD in Neuroscience. Dr. Martin-Schild completed a combined internal medicine and neurology residency at Tulane University School of Medicine, followed by fellowship training in Vascular Neurology and clinical research in Vascular Neurology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, Texas. Dr. Martin-Schild founded and directed the Stroke Program at Tulane Medical Center 2008-2016. She advanced Tulane Medical Center to Primary Stroke Center level in less than 2 years from inception and Comprehensive Stroke Center 3 years later. Her service delivered the highest rate of and most efficient with thrombolytic treatment for ischemic stroke in Louisiana.

Dr. Martin-Schild serves as the Statewide Stroke Medical Director for the Louisiana Emergency Response Network. She is the President & CEO of Dr. Brain, Inc., which provides on-site stroke leadership and patient care to hospitals committed to improving or developing stroke programs. She currently serves as the Medical Director of Neurology & Stroke for the New Orleans East Hospital and Touro Infirmary. Dr. Martin-Schild’s research focuses on access to stroke care, racial disparities in outcome, and augmentation of rehab potential with neurostimulants. She has more than 100 manuscripts published in peer-reviewed journals.

On behalf of Genentech, a nationwide Stroke Awareness Survey was conducted on March 25 – April 10, 2020 among 2,009 adults ages 35+ in the U.S. BE FAST was developed by Intermountain Healthcare, as an adaptation of the FAST model implemented by the American Stroke Association. Reproduced with permission from Intermountain Healthcare. © 2011 Intermountain Healthcare. All rights reserved.

Support for this campaign is provided by Genentech Inc., a member of the Roche Group. © 2020 Genentech USA, Inc. All rights reserved.

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