TRAUMA: Recognizing a Stroke

[Guest guest]

Greetings everyone,

 

Although we eschew the medical establishment in most circumstances involving

acute, chronic, and degenerative symptoms, they still can provide

constructive services (to an extent) in the event of trauma or catastrophic

breakdown. A stroke would be a catastrophic breakdown, and the ability to

identify one quickly and get someone to proper treatment can make all the

difference in the prognosis for that person.

 

Following is information about how to recognize a likely stroke quickly and

easily. Please note that, in addition to the traditional

 

- Smile (seeking a balanced, full smile)

- Talk (seeking physically and mentally coherent speech)

- Raise both arms (seeking capacity and symmetry/balance)

 

we now have a fourth test:

 

- Stick out your tongue (seeking symmetry, flatness)

 

Although I typically do not send passalong emails, perhaps in this case

doing so will save someone's life.

 

Best to all,

Elchanan

_____

 

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters.... S.T.R.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Importance of Stroke Recognition

During a BBQ, a woman 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. Although she

appeared a bit shaken up, the woman went about enjoying herself the rest of

the evening.

 

Her husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to

the hospital and had passed away shortly thereafter. She had suffered a

stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke,

perhaps she would be alive and even fully functional today.

 

 

Some neurologists says that, if they can get to a stroke victim within the

first 3 hours, they can substantially or completely reverse the effects of

a stroke. They say that the key lies in recognizing the stroke quickly, so

that the person can be transported for treatment immediately.

 

In other words, rapid recognition is the key.

 

Recognizing a Stroke

Fortunately we, even as bystanders, can learn to recognize many common

strokes quickly and with ease by asking a person to perform the following

very simple tasks:

 

S * Ask the person to SMILE.

T * Ask him/her to TALK, to speak a simple, coherent sentence.

(E.g., ask him/her how they are feeling, or perhaps to say

something like " It's sunny out today. " )

R * Ask him/her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

 

New sign of a stroke ... STICK OUT YOUR TONGUE.

(Ask him/her 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.)

 

If the person has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 999/911

immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

 

It's crucial that you state that the person may be having a stroke AND

describe the physical symptoms you have observed, otherwise the dispatcher

may send the person to the wrong facility.