If you’re the clinician (and you are), you know that with every suspected of clear-cut TIA (or acute stroke), the questions you need answered STAT are: 1) Is there an intracranial bleed?, 2) Is the vessel open or completely occluded, 3) If open, is the vessel tightly stenotic or not?, and (now that you probably have some decision-making time left) 4) Is there intermediate stenosis and/or a potential source of emboli?
But if you’re at the checkout lane or the dining table instead of the Emergency Room, you need an ever-ready plan of action… and a handy inexpensive tool.
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The British Stroke Association just published what we’ve always known: Stoicism increases the morbidity of stroke. In particular, in this time of strained EMS and hospital resources, there is in the back of our minds the sense that “I don’t want to be an unnecessary burden to them.”
Well, in the back of your brain (perhaps next to that thought) there might be an even better, ischemic reason to dial 911 (999 in Britain) and get under all the Clinicians’ brilliance and authority immediately.
And consider also— regardless— carrying a packet of powdered aspirin with you in your wallet. If not for you, then for the one sitting next to you on the bus who’s having the same experience. Just one, under the tongue, STAT, while you’re waiting for help to arrive….
At this moment, what else do you have on your schedule to do?
And if it turns out there’s an intracranial bleed, your aspirin isn’t going to be the source of the problem, and you’ll hopefully have spurned them (or yourself) to get on the INSIDE of an ER immediately.
The British Stroke Association just published what we’ve always known: Stoicism increases the morbidity of stroke. In particular, in this time of strained EMS and hospital resources, there is in the back of our minds the sense that “I don’t want to be an unnecessary burden to them.”
Well, in the back of your brain (perhaps next to that thought) there might be an even better, ischemic reason to dial 911 (999 in Britain) and get under all the Clinicians’ brilliance and authority immediately.
And consider also— regardless— carrying a packet of powdered aspirin with you in your wallet. If not for you, then for the one sitting next to you on the bus who’s having the same experience. Just one, under the tongue, STAT, while you’re waiting for help to arrive….
At this moment, what else do you have on your schedule to do?
And if it turns out there’s an intracranial bleed, your aspirin isn’t going to be the source of the problem, and you’ll hopefully have spurned them (or yourself) to get on the INSIDE of an ER immediately.
If you’re the clinician (and you are), you know that with every suspected of clear-cut TIA (or acute stroke), the questions you need answered STAT are: 1) Is there an intracranial bleed?, 2) Is the vessel open or completely occluded, 3) If open, is the vessel tightly stenotic or not?, and (now that you probably have some decision-making time left) 4) Is there intermediate stenosis and/or a potential source of emboli?
But if you’re at the checkout lane or the dining table instead of the Emergency Room, you need an ever-ready plan of action… and a handy inexpensive tool.
And now, some very good advice: If you even THINK you might be having a heart attack or stroke, then you’re already just as guilty as the person who DID.
Act on that thought and save your life… EMS is never too busy or burdened to start working on You.