Stroke ID

[Rondo]

I thought this was important enough to send to all my MOC Brothers and Sisters!

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
>
> During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured
> everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) .she said
> she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.
>
> They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she
> appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of
> the evening
>
> Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been
> taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had
> suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs
> of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die. they
> end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.
>
> It only takes a minute to read this...
>
> A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours
> he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the
> trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the
> patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.
>
> RECOGNIZING A STROKE
>
> Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, STR . Read and
> Learn!
>
> Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify.
> Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim
> may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the
> symptoms of a stroke.
>
> Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three
> simple questions:
>
> S *Ask the individual to SMILE.
> T *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
> (i.e. It is sunny out today)
> R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
>
> If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency
> numberimmediatelyand describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
>
> New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue
>
> NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out
> his tongue.. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the
> other,that is also an indication of a stroke.
>
> A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10
> people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.
>
> I have done my part. Have you?

[Art-n-Marge]

Rondo - great note. I had forgotten how to do this.

Good job! There are almost 10,000 people in the MOC. That's a bit more than 10.

One of these days I or someone near me will probably fall and want to slough off the fuss and embarassment with much the same types of comments that Ingrid used. Especially as we age and aren't as active others might look at us as if we are just being sedentary. Many of us around each other might even try to help them avoid the fuss. BUT, we must fight that feeling and try these simple tests so we can help and avoid a tragedy that can be prevented.

[junglejim]

Thanks Rondo, I take annual classes for first-aid and cpr and have never heard of this.I will undoubtly remember this information especially seeing how my dad and father in law both had serious complications due to a stroke.Hopefully I will never have to recognize the signs.

[Icehouse]

Thanks Rondo. This is good information to share.

[Texas Firefighter]

Very important message Rondo. Sorry for the loss of your friend. The most important step is contacting EMS, no matter what the medical problem. Let the paramedics come in and evaluate the patient, now days they sometimes carry(depends on the EMS system) new drugs that can help a stroke or heart attack patient on scene. The person might not want EMS to be called, but it will not hurt to call even if they just come and check out the person. Be safe! John Daniels