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Dallas, TX<\/strong> – More than a third of stroke patients don\u2019t get to the hospital by ambulance, even though that\u2019s the fastest way to get there and the quickest way to get vital treatment, according to new research in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, <\/em>an American Heart Association journal.<\/p>\nResearchers studied records on more than 204,000 stroke patients arriving at emergency rooms at 1,563 hospitals participating in the American Heart Association\/American Stroke Association\u2019s Get With The Guidelines\u00ae<\/sup>-Stroke quality improvement program in 2003-10.<\/p>\n Think FAST<\/p><\/div>\n Emergency medical services (EMS) transported 63.7 percent of the patients, with the rest arriving in various other ways, researchers said.<\/p>\n During a stroke emergency, quick treatment is critical. EMS transported 79 percent of those who got to the hospital within two hours of the start of their symptoms. That resulted in earlier arrival, quicker evaluation and faster treatment, said the researchers, who found:<\/p>\n \u201cEMS are able to give the hospital a heads up, and that grabs the attention of the emergency room staff to be ready to act as soon as the patient arrives,\u201d said Jeffrey L. Saver, M.D., senior author of the study and director of the UCLA Comprehensive Stroke Center in Los Angeles, CA. \u201cThe ambulance crew also knows which hospitals in the area have qualified stroke centers. Patients don’t lose time going to one hospital only to be referred to another that can provide more advanced care if needed, whether that\u2019s drugs to bust up the clot or device procedures to remove it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA number of factors can fuel the reluctance to call 9-1-1,\u201d said James Ekundayo, M.D., Dr.P.H., lead author of the study and assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN. \u201cPeople may not recognize symptoms and may delay seeking medical care or call their doctor instead. We hear people say they just didn\u2019t want to be a bother, but many times there could have been a better outcome if EMS had been called.\u201d<\/p>\n Southern states fare worse in this area than Northern states.<\/p>\n \u201cWe could deduce, based on our findings, that stroke patients living in Southern states of the United States including Tennessee, do poorly in EMS use compared to their counterparts from the Northeast,\u201d said Ekundayo. \u201cWe found that living in the South was associated with 19% decreased odds of EMS activation during stroke, compared to living in the Northeast.\u201d<\/p>\n [320right]About 795,000 Americans experience a new or recurrent stroke each year \u2014 a stroke every 40 seconds or a related death every four minutes. About 3100 Tennesseans die each year from stroke. It is the fourth leading killer of Americans, taking the lives of 1 in 18.<\/p>\n Boosting public awareness efforts and education is critical to improving stroke outcomes in the short- and long-term, researchers said.<\/p>\n The American Heart Association\/American Stroke Association\u2019s Together to End Stroke<\/a> raises stroke awareness and educates Americans that stroke is largely preventable, treatable and beatable. The campaign now includes a free mobile app<\/a> that highlights the acronym F.A.S.T. <\/a> to help people recognize a stroke:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYour life, your brain, depends on calling 9-1-1,\u201d Saver said. \u201cKnow the signs and act fast if you or someone you\u2019re with is having stroke symptoms.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPrevention of controllable risk factors for stroke such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, smoking, physical inactivity, etc. will reduce the occurrence of new cases of stroke and improve Tennessee\u2019s ranking in stroke,\u201d Ekundayo said. \u201cUse of EMS may not prevent the occurrence of new cases of stroke, but will ensure early arrival at the hospital, prompt evaluation, and the administration of clot busting medication if patients are eligible, which will reduce morbidity and mortality post-stroke.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Think](\"http:\/\/www.clarksvilleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Think-FAST.jpg\" "\\"Think")
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<\/a>Minorities and rural residents were less likely to call for EMS at the signs of a stroke, researchers found.<\/p>\n\n