Skip To Main Content
For Patients and Caregivers

AWARENESS CAN IMPROVE OUTCOMES1

healthcare professional facing forward

Quickly identifying sudden symptoms of stroke and calling 911 can make a difference2

  • EMS transportation is associated with more timely brain imaging and rapid evaluation3

Public awareness of signs and symptoms of stroke remains poor 2,3

  • In a national survey of more than 36,600 people, one-third of respondents were not aware of stroke symptoms and would not call 911 in the event of a stroke 2*
  • In an analysis of more than 200,000 admitted stroke patients, only 63.7% arrived using EMS 3†

Encourage everyone in your community to learn sudden symptoms of stroke

  • Instruct prospective patients, families, and caregivers to look out for sudden signs of stroke and call 911
  • Continuous education about signs and symptoms of stroke improves stroke recognition; repetition is required for a sustained impact 2

You might know the BE FAST‡ signs of stroke...
Balance loss, Eyesight loss, Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 911

...but do your patients? Encourage them to learn sudden symptoms of stroke.

Sudden symptoms of stroke

Loss of balance
Dizziness
Vision changes
Facial drooping
Severe headache
Weakness
Numbness
Trouble speaking
Confusion

*This survey was conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
†This data came from Get With the Guidelines Stroke registry, which is sponsored by the American Heart Association.
‡BE FAST was developed by Intermountain Healthcare, as an adaptation of the FAST model implemented by the American Stroke Association. Reproduced with permission from Intermountain Healthcare. © 2011, Intermountain Healthcare.

 

healthcare professional and patient

Keep stroke top-of-mind in your community

ACCESS RESOURCES

    • Bouckaert M, Lemmens R, Thijs V. Reducing prehospital delay in acute stroke. Nat Rev Neurol. 2009;5(9):477-483.

      Bouckaert M, Lemmens R, Thijs V. Reducing prehospital delay in acute stroke. Nat Rev Neurol. 2009;5(9):477-483.

    • Ojike N, Ravenell J, Azizi S, et al. Racial disparity in stroke awareness in the US: an analysis of the 2014 National Health Interview Survey. J Neurol Neurophysiol. 2016;7(2):365.

      Ojike N, Ravenell J, Azizi S, et al. Racial disparity in stroke awareness in the US: an analysis of the 2014 National Health Interview Survey. J Neurol Neurophysiol. 2016;7(2):365.

    • Ekundayo OJ, Saver JL, Fonarow GC, et al. Patterns of emergency medical services use and its association with timely stroke treatment. Findings from Get with the Guidelines-Stroke. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2013;6(3):262-269.

      Ekundayo OJ, Saver JL, Fonarow GC, et al. Patterns of emergency medical services use and its association with timely stroke treatment. Findings from Get with the Guidelines-Stroke. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2013;6(3):262-269.

    • Jauch EC, Saver JL, Adams HP Jr, et al. Guidelines for the early management of patients with acute ischemic stroke: a guideline for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2013;44:870-947.

      Jauch EC, Saver JL, Adams HP Jr, et al. Guidelines for the early management of patients with acute ischemic stroke: a guideline for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2013;44:870-947.

    • Saver JL, Fonarow GC, Smith EE, et al. Time to treatment with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator and outcome from acute ischemic stroke. JAMA. 2013;309:2480-2488.

       

      Saver JL, Fonarow GC, Smith EE, et al. Time to treatment with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator and outcome from acute ischemic stroke. JAMA. 2013;309:2480-2488.