NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — When a patient suffers a stroke, Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System knows time is the key to protecting the brain.
"During a stroke, 32,000 brain cells die per second," said Julie Wiens, RN, Stroke Program Certification Coordinator with Hutchinson Regional. "Stroke victims who have blockages in the large vessels of the brain lose 2 million neurons per minute. We have a saying in stroke care. Time is brain."
A brain attack, which is what a stroke is, is every bit as dangerous as a heart attack, and even more so in some respects.
"Not to minimize heart attacks, because I certainly don't want to do that," said Bobbie Starks, RN and Stroke Program Leader. "The heart has a better intrinsic ability to regenerate and heal than what the brain does. When those neurons are dead and gone, they are irrevocably dead and gone, unfortunately."
Because of that, when you see the signs of stroke, you need to do something immediately.
"B stands for balance," Wiens said. "Is the person suddenly having trouble with balance or coordination? Are they dizzy? Do they have a headache?
E stands for eyes. Is the person experiencing suddenly blurred or double vision or loss of vision in one or both eyes? This occurs without pain.
F stands for face drooping, does one side of the face droop, or is it numb? You test for this by asking the person to smile and look at their face and see if one side of their mouth is higher than the other.
A stands for arm weakness. Is one arm or leg weak or numb? You test for this by asking the person to raise both arms up out in front of themselves, like they are holding a platter and watch them for a moment and see, does one arm drift downward?
S is for speech. It's speech difficulty. Is the speech slurred? Are they unable to speak? Are they hard to understand? Do they not make any sense whatsoever? Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase like, the sky is blue or you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Is the sentence repeated correctly? If not, that could be a stroke.
T is for time. Time is brain. If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, please get them to the hospital immediately."
Stroke is a situation where you need the lights and siren and the care in route to the hospital, so calling an ambulance is the right course of action, because the loss of function potential is so great that it outweighs any financial concerns. Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the nation.