According to the statistics of the World He alth Organization, stroke takes many more lives than cancer, and is the main cause of long-term disability of the population literally all over the world. Therefore, it is important to quickly detect the hidden symptoms of a stroke in order to save a person’s life and reduce the negative consequences. In our article, we will take a closer look at what a stroke is. First aid before the arrival of the ambulance should be provided to each patient.
What is this?
Today, cerebral stroke "captured" the second place after myocardial infarction among the causes of general mortality in Russia. Given this problem, doctors classify stroke as a category of pathologies that require mandatory training of the population in first aid for stroke beforeambulance arrival.
An attack occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is either blocked by a cholesterol plaque, a blood clot, or abruptly ruptures. As a result, nerve cells die, the human body loses the functions for which these cells were responsible:
- paralysis sets in;
- there is a loss of speech and other serious pathologies.
Please note: the risk of a heart attack increases with a person's age, but in our time this disease has become younger. A 40-year-old man with a stroke is no longer a rarity. According to WHO statistics, at age 55, the risk of an attack doubles.
The he alth of the patient directly depends on whether first aid was provided in a timely manner for a stroke before the arrival of an ambulance. In fact, it is much easier to prevent an attack than to engage in long-term treatment of a victim after a stroke. In the second scenario, relatives and friends will need tremendous perseverance and diligence in order to provide the necessary care and support to the patient during rehabilitation.
How does this manifest itself?
A stroke most often occurs in the early morning, late evening or at night. Its first symptoms are:
- sudden numbness or weakness of the muscles of the limbs, facial muscles (mainly on one side of the body);
- difficulties in articulation or perception of text or speech;
- reduced visual acuity in one or both eyes;
- lack of coordination when moving, unsteady gait;
- dizziness, blurred consciousness;
- sudden severe and inexplicable headache.
As a rule, these signs appear against the background of increased blood pressure. If you or a person near you have noticed similar symptoms, do not hesitate and immediately call an ambulance team. Remember that during the telephone conversation you should provide the dispatcher with a detailed and accurate description of the patient's condition, so that in addition to the ambulance doctors, a special neurological team will arrive.
First aid for a stroke before the ambulance arrives is as follows: lay the victim down, provide him with complete rest and fresh air. Upon admission to the hospital, doctors observe and support the work of the respiratory and cardiac organs, and provide emergency care. If necessary, the patient is immediately sent to the neuro-intensive care unit.
Harbingers of a stroke
As we said above in the article, stroke most often occurs in people over 40-45 years old who suffer from hypertension, diabetes, arrhythmia, pathologies that are directly related to blood clotting disorders. In people who are at risk, the likely harbingers of a stroke attack and the reason for quickly contacting emergency medical specialists are:
- increased blood pressure;
- sudden weakness;
- fatigue;
- drowsy;
- dizziness;
- headpain;
- variable feeling - sometimes hot, sometimes cold.
How to recognize a stroke for sure
Today, a simple test (ATS) has been developed to help determine if a person at risk of stroke is conscious:
- U - smile. Ask to smile. It may be observed that one of the corners of the mouth goes down. The smile is slightly skewed, unnatural.
- З - to speak. Ask the patient to speak. Suspicions should be raised by the fact that a person cannot repeat even the simplest phrase or will pronounce it with frequent errors. In some situations, the patient will not even understand the meaning of your request, as it is difficult for him to recognize speech.
- P - raise your hands. If you ask the patient to raise both arms up for 30 seconds, the arm on one side of the body will drop. Or the person will raise their hands at different heights.
All of these signs should make you suspicious of an impending stroke attack. Call an ambulance immediately.
Time to save a person
When brain vessels are damaged, irreversible processes begin to occur within 1-2 hours. In medical practice, there is a special "therapeutic window" - 4.5 hours. This is the time at which first aid for a stroke before the arrival of an ambulance makes it possible to prevent the development of serious pathologies of an attack, which are associated with the necrosis of most of the brain cells. ATif during this time the patient has time to provide qualified medical support to the patient, he can relatively quickly return to normal life.
Despite such statistics, in practice, medical workers have not 4.5 hours, but much less time to save a person's life. Most of it is spent on determining the symptoms of an impending attack, making a decision to call doctors, call an ambulance and transport to a hospital.
As a result, the sooner the symptoms of a stroke are detected and primary measures are taken, the more likely it is to avoid death or deep disability. Extensive pathologies of the brain during such an attack can lead to loss of vision, hearing, paralysis. Often, post-stroke patients, chained to their beds, have to learn to walk, talk, and perform simple household functions in a new way.
How to help a patient with a stroke
When identifying symptoms of acute cerebrovascular accident, doctors should be called as soon as possible. What to do if you have a stroke before the ambulance arrives:
- Reassure the patient so that he, in a state of great anxiety, does not worsen the situation and harm himself.
- Lay the person down on the bed in a comfortable position. Raise your head 30 degrees. It is important that there are no wrinkles on the bedspread under the patient.
- If the patient is unconscious, turn the head to one side and gently stick out the tongue.
- Loosen tight clothing such as a collar, tie, orbelt.
- Measure your blood pressure and pulse, as well as your blood sugar. If the pressure is elevated, doctors advise giving the patient drugs that can normalize these indicators. This is allowed in very rare situations.
- Dip your feet in a basin of hot water or put a heating pad at your feet. Such actions will help to cope with the outflow of blood to the head area.
What is forbidden to do
When treating a stroke before the arrival of an ambulance, remember that your actions should in no way worsen the patient's condition. Do not do the following:
- You should not be idle and wait for the condition to improve, while not calling an ambulance. The first 3-6 hours in a stroke can be considered critical and at the same time the most favorable for relieving the condition and reducing symptoms.
- What to take with a stroke before the ambulance arrives? Doctors do not advise giving the injured person any drugs, even if the victim himself claims to use them constantly. Medications taken without doctor's control have every chance to impair blood circulation. Therefore, it is forbidden to take any pills for a stroke before the ambulance arrives.
- It is forbidden to give the patient any drinks. After all, at any moment he may begin to feel nausea and vomiting, because of which he can choke and suffocate.
- You should not try to bring the person to life with ammonia or other similar drugs, as they can impair respiratory function.
Transportation of a patient in an ambulance
What should not be done in case of a stroke before the arrival of an ambulance? Remember that you should not try to deliver the victim by personal or public transport to the hospital. When transporting a person with a stroke, only a modernly equipped ambulance with qualified doctors, medicines and a siren is needed. A person is transported to a neurological hospital or to the intensive care unit of a nearby hospital, where doctors are warned in advance that such a victim will be admitted to them.
Typically, he althcare workers have at best 1.5 hours to provide emergency care for a stroke. For those who were close to the patient during the attack, it is important to accompany him to the hospital in order to tell the doctors in detail about the details of what happened and the support provided.
- When transporting a patient to a medical facility, the following measures and actions are taken in case of a stroke by the ambulance team:
- Prevention of respiratory disorders (eg, tracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation).
- Smooth lowering of blood pressure.
- Maintain fluid and electrolyte balance with saline drips.
- Administration of anticonvulsant drugs into the body.
- When transporting a stroke victim, they operate on the principle of "bring with less loss to the body."
First aid for stroke on the street or intransport
If you witness an attack in a public place, immediately call an ambulance, and only then take the necessary actions in case of a stroke before the ambulance arrives, as described in our article. If a person has an attack on the subway, bus or plane, you should call the staff. Transportation personnel are specially trained in emergency medical skills, as well as support and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
What to do if the attack occurred indoors
If a person shows signs of a seizure outside the home, such as in an office or shopping mall, others can provide emergency care for a stroke before the ambulance arrives:
- Lay the patient in a horizontal position. If a person lost consciousness and fell, you need to leave him also in a horizontal position and give him a comfortable posture. In this situation, independently check whether the victim is breathing. If there are respiratory failures, the patient is placed on his side and the oral cavity is freed from vomit, food debris, chewing gum, and removable dentures. Do not move the patient in search of a better position, as this can only harm him.
- Easier breathing. To do this, you need to free the person’s neck from tight clothes, jewelry, unfasten the belt, remove the tie and provide fresh air by opening the window. Ask those around you to leave.
- If you have a blood pressure monitor and a glucometer in your office, shop, or home, take your blood pressure and sugar levels and write down the readings. ATIn the future, this data will be important for emergency physicians. If a person's blood pressure is too high, then raise the victim's head a little, if it's low, leave him in a flat horizontal position.
- Try to calm the victim and be with him until the arrival of the doctors.
- What to do with a stroke before the ambulance arrives with documents? While waiting for the emergency medical team, you should find and prepare the necessary papers: a personal passport, a medical insurance policy, remember and write down the significant features of the patient's condition - the presence of any allergic reactions, diseases, etc.
- When convulsions occur, lay the person on their side, holding their head slightly (so that there is no injury). Many doctors advise wrapping a comb or spoon with a cloth and putting it in your mouth so that the tongue does not sink directly during an attack.
- If the heartbeat or breathing has stopped, you need to start emergency resuscitation - artificial respiration and chest compressions - and carry it out until the function is restored or until the ambulance arrives.
During a stroke, doctors do not allow to unclench tightly cramped fingers, forcibly straighten arms or legs. During a hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke, first aid before the ambulance arrives does not involve holding the patient. A person should not be held by the hands, as this can lead to a fracture or dislocation.
Do not leave the patient unattended before or during an attack. Before the arrival of the ambulancemedical attention, do not allow him to move around on his own, even if he convinces you that he feels well. The condition of the victim can deteriorate sharply at any moment. Remember that the person has a brain disorder and needs urgent medical attention.
