Calling 9-1-1 right choice when stroke symptoms appear

What would you do if a friend or loved one started displaying the following symptoms: sudden slurred speech, sudden numbness on one side of the body or sudden blurry vision?

Would you give medicine or first aid, call the doctor, take them to an emergency room, call 9-1-1, stay with them until they felt better or do something else?

We hope you recognized that the symptoms were indications of a stroke, and that only calling 9-1-1 is the correct response.

The study, conducted in Michigan, found that of the 27.6 percent of the participants who knew all three stroke warning symptoms, only 17.6 percent said they would call 9-1-1 for all three.

Fifty-one percent of all respondents would call 9-1-1 for someing having sudden trouble speaking or understanding; 42 percent would call 9-1-1 for someone having sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the body, and 20 percent would call for someone who had sudden trouble seeing out of one or both eyes.

In four of five of the hypothetical scenarios, taking patients to the emergency room -- not calling for an ambulance -- was the most common response.

Older people were more likely than younger people to dial 9-1-1 for all three stroke situations -- 6.1 percent of those 18 to 24 years old compared to 17.6 percent of those ages 65-74.

Gender, race education, household income and insurance status were not significantly related to a person's intent to call 9-1-1.

"Respondents appear to be unaware of the advantages of EMS transport, and the fact that public health recommendations advise the use of EMS over private transport," said Chris Fussman, M.S., lead author of the study and an epidemiologist with the Michigan Department of Community Health in Lansing, Mich.

"Calling 9-1-1 gets you to the hospital fast and allows the paramedics to communicate with the hospital so staff are prepared for your arrival."

The earlier treatment begins, the greater the chance of recovering from stroke -- the No. 3 killer and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States.

The clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) is the gold standard treatment for stroke; however, most patients aren't eligible to receive it because they don't get to the hospital in time. Current stroke treatment guidelines call for patients to arrive at a hospital within 4.5 hours after the symptoms begin in order for t-PA to be effective.

The researchers caution against applying their results to other states -- we hope Southwest Nebraskans and Northwest Kansans would be more likely to chose calling 9-1-1 as their primary response.

But it's a good reminder that making the right choice when symptoms of a stroke appear -- slurred speech, sudden numbness or weakness on one side, sudden blurry vision trouble walking and an unexplained headache -- can make a big difference over the long run.