A Real “Dear John” Letter

Ordinarily, I delete emails that have been forwarded over and over again – especially the ones that insist you need to send it to everyone on your address list. But when I got this e-mail I had to open it (mainly because I am the director of the neuroscience unit) to see what kind of crazy advice people are spreading on the Internet. It read:

Subject: FW: FW: FW: FW: A SIGN OF STROKE
Importance: High
A MUST READ! A SIGN OF STROKE

It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within three hours, he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within three hours, which is tough.

My friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the word:

During a barbecue, a friend stumbled and took a little fall – she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital – at 6 p.m., Ingrid passed away. She had suffered a stroke at the barbecue. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead…

I really think there are people out there who want to help others, which is why e-mails like this are forwarded so often. I agree with much of the content, because stroke can be deadly: it’s the third-leading cause of death in America today and a major cause of severe, long-term disability.

Identifying a stroke and getting treatment quickly is crucial, because there’s a strict three-hour window for treating certain types (but not all) strokes. A medicine can be given in some cases that dissolves clots that occlude blood flow to your brain.

But there are definitive criteria that must be met before the medicine can be safely given, which is why a thorough screening takes place in the emergency department to determine eligibility. After three hours, it is generally considered too dangerous to give the medicine.

That’s why it’s extremely important to recognize when a stroke is occurring and get immediate medical care if you or someone you know is experiencing one. The five warning signs of an acute stroke are:

• Sudden numbness of the face, arms or legs, especially on one side of the body.
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
• Sudden severe headaches with no known cause.

If you recognize these signs taking place, call 911 immediately or have someone drive the stroke victim directly to the hospital. Ingrid might be alive today if someone had recognized the signs.

--John Romano, RN, BSN
Director of Medical Surgical and Neuroscience