Golden hour for stroke emergency

Every year, Vietnam records about 200,000 stroke cases, of which the majority of patients arrive at the hospital too late, past the “golden hour” - the optimal time for life-saving intervention and to limit sequelae.

This is one of the reasons why stroke has become the leading cause of death, while also leaving a burden of disability for the patient.

According to information from the Stroke Center (108 Central Military Hospital), stroke is caused by blood clots or plaque in the blood vessels that block or rupture blood vessels in the brain, causing brain cells to suddenly die due to lack of oxygen.

The “golden hour” in stroke treatment is the first 3 to 6 hours from the onset of symptoms.

The reason why stroke victims need to be treated as quickly as possible is because this is a race to protect brain cells. Every minute of delayed treatment means that up to 2 million brain cells of the patient are dying. The sooner treatment is given, the lower the rate of cell death, the higher the chance of survival and the less the patient's sequelae.

During the “golden hour,” interventions such as intravenous thrombolytic drugs or mechanical thrombectomy can help reopen blocked cerebral blood vessels, save brain cells from dying, and restore motor and cognitive function.

Although stroke emergency care should be prioritized within the "golden hour", in reality, many patients are missed due to many reasons.

To help people recognize early warning signs of stroke, medical experts use the FAST rule. Specifically, F(Face) is the face drooping on one side, mouth is crooked; A(Arms) is one-sided weakness in the arms or legs; S(Speech) is slurred speech, difficulty speaking or not understanding words; T(Time) is the time to take the patient to the emergency room as quickly as possible or call an ambulance as soon as possible to a medical facility capable of treating strokes.

Modern hospitals in Hanoi such as Bach Mai Hospital, 108 Military Central Hospital, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, Thanh Nhan Hospital... all have specialized stroke units, ready to receive and treat patients during the golden hours. Note, people absolutely do not use cupping, give blood pressure lowering drugs or wait for patients to recover on their own.

hanoimoi.vn

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/gio-vang-cap-cuu-dot-quy-post648660.html