by Joe Bryowsky RN, CCRN – Clinical Manager. This is the second part of Clinical Corner: New AHA Stroke Guidelines Part 1
Points to Ponder:
• Worldwide, stroke is the second leading cause of death, responsible for 4.4 million (9 percent) of the total 50.5 million deaths each year.
• Stroke is the No. 3 cause of death in the U.S., behind heart disease (with which it is closely linked) and cancer.
• Stroke affects more than 700,000 individuals annually in the United States (approximately one person every 45 seconds). About 500,000 of these are first attacks, and 200,000 are recurrent attacks.
• Someone in the U.S. dies every 3.3 minutes from stroke
• Stroke is the leading cause of disability among adults in the U.S.
• More than 4 million people in the United States have survived a stroke or brain attack and are living with the after-effects.
• Four out of five families will be somehow affected by stroke over the course of a lifetime.
Remember:
F.A.S.T.an easy way to remember the sudden signs of a stroke:
• Face drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb?
• Arm weakness: Is one arm weak or numb?
• Speech difficulty: Is speech slurred, are you unable to speak, or are you hard to understand?
• Time to call 9-1-1: If you have any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get to the hospital immediately.
For more information regarding new stroke guidelines please visit: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/
