4
If you think you know the warning
signs of stroke, raise your hand and
give me five – the five warning signs,
that is.
Give Me 5 for Stroke is an edu-
cational campaign of the American
Academy of Neurology, the Ameri-
can College of Emergency Physicians
and the American Heart Association.
The point is to help people recog-
nize stroke symptoms – in themselves
and others – and get help fast.
WHAT IS STROKE?
Statistics show that stroke is the
nation’s third leading cause of
death, with nearly 800,000 Americans
having a new or recurrent stroke
each year – that’s an episode every
40 seconds.
Stroke – sometimes referred to as
a brain attack – is like a heart attack
to the brain. When a blood vessel to
the brain bursts or is blocked by a
clot, the blood and oxygen feeding
that part of the brain are shut off.
Starved for nutrients, the affected
brain cells begin dying.
“The majority of strokes are caused
by clots,” Ana Henriques, RN, FNP,
Saint Agnes stroke program coordina-
tor, says. “Stroke patients may be giv-
en the clot-busting medication called
t-PA, or tissue plasminogen activator, if
they arrive within the first three hours
of their symptoms. Stroke patients
who are candidates for t-PA have a
greater chance of recovery.”
Three hours might seem like a long
time. But it’s a relatively short window
when you consider what needs to
happen during those three hours:
•
Notice something is wrong.
•
Recognize the symptoms as a
possible stroke.
•
Call for emergency help.
•
Get to the hospital.
•
Have a stroke diagnosed.
•
Receive t-PA.
GET HELP
If you think someone is having a
stroke, test the following five body
functions:
1
WALK.
Can the person stand
straight? Is his or her balance
off? Is one foot dragging?
2
TALK.
Is his or her face droopy
or speech slurred? Can the per-
son speak clearly and make sense?
3
REACH.
Is one side weak or
numb? Can he or she raise both
arms together, or does one arm fall?
Test each hand’s grasp by asking the
person to squeeze your fingers.
4
SEE.
Is the person’s vision all or
partially lost? Can he or she see
clearly? Is any part of the visual field
blocked or blurred?
5
FEEL.
Does the person have a se-
vere headache? Is that unusual, or
is this headache different from normal?
“Any of these symptoms can occur
suddenly. Even if they go away, they
could be a sign of stroke,” Henriques
says. “So be sure to call 9-1-1
immediately.”
Valley residents can trust that they have access to exceptional stroke care at Saint Agnes.
In July, the Medical Center was certified as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center by The
Joint Commission. Saint Agnes is proud to be one of the more than 800 certified stroke cen-
ters in 49 states. This Joint Commission certification means that Saint Agnes follows evidence-
based standards and guidelines that are shown to significantly improve stroke patient outcomes.
Give me
5
if you know stroke
is a medical emergency
CHECK THIS OUT!
For a complete list of
programs certified by The
Joint Commission, visit
www.qualitycheck.org.
Good as gold!
STROKE
&
YOU
Free health
assessment
Take a free
health risk
assessment for stroke
and other health
conditions by visiting
www.samc.com >
Healthy Living > Health
Information > Health
Risk Assessments. Or
scan this barcode with
your smartphone, and
you’ll be connected
directly to our
assessments.
1
2
3
4
5
www.samc.com