Identifying stroke symptoms in 60 seconds

Knowing that a stroke has occurred and getting treatment as soon as possible can make the difference between a full recovery and lifelong disability or even death. But what does a stroke look like?

Last week, researchers told physicians at the annual meeting of the American Heart Assn. that laypeople could be told how to recognize a stroke with a one-minute screening evaluation, thereby becoming the eyes and ears of a 911 dispatcher.

Researchers paired a stroke survivor with lingering symptoms with a person who represented a bystander. A researcher playing the role of a 911 dispatcher read scripted instructions to the bystander over the phone, as it would happen in real life. The study was done at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Medicine.

The bystanders were 95% accurate in detecting arm weakness, 88% accurate in spotting abnormal speech and 71% accurate in noting facial weakness. Amy S. Hurwitz, a coauthor of the study and a medical student at the University of North Carolina, says family members should note the symptoms screened by this test. “Specifically, if a family member’s speech unexpectedly becomes slurred or incomprehensible, if one side of the body goes numb, or if one side of the face droops down, you should call 911 immediately,” she says.

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-- Dianne Partie Lange