"I know of no disease that is as common or as serious as stroke and where you basically have one therapy and it’s only used in 3 to 4 percent of patients. That’s like saying you only treat 3 to 4 percent of patients with bacterial pneumonia with antibiotics.”
Dr. Mark Alberts, neurology professor at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University calls the situation where people don't recognize they are having a stroke and most hospitals, uncertain about stroke diagnoses, don't provide tPA , the only effective drug against stroke, "a national embarrassment".
Lost Chances for Survival Before and After Stroke
Stroke kills 150,000 Americans each year, the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer, and leaves many more permanently disabled. With tPA (tissue plasminogen activator), one in three victims of stroke escaped serious injury. One problem is the clot-busting tPA must be administered within three hours of the stroke to be effective.
As I wrote before in Just a Minute, Save a Life, even lay people can diagnose a stroke in 60 seconds if they remember SRS, Smile, Raise, Speak.
• Ask the individual to SMILE
• Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS
• Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE
If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call 9-1-1 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher. Researchers are urging the general public to learn to ask these three questions quickly, to someone they suspect of having a stroke. Widespread use of this test could result in prompt diagnosis and treatment of a stroke, and prevent permanent brain damage.