World Stroke Day丨The harm of stroke should not be underestimated. Prevention and identification should be carried out as early as possible

Stroke, commonly known as "stroke", is an acute cerebrovascular disease.

October 29 is World Stroke Day. This year, the theme of China is "Recognize stroke one second earlier, save the brain and recover well." Many medical experts pointed out that stroke is preventable and treatable, prevention is the most important, and identification and treatment must be timely.

Data from the China Stroke Report show that over the past 30 years, the prevalence and crude mortality of stroke in my country have continued to rise. Reducing the mortality rate of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as stroke has become one of the core goals of my country's "Healthy China Action".

What is a stroke?

The weather is getting colder and the temperature is dropping, and it is the season when stroke is most likely to occur.

Stroke is a group of diseases that cause brain tissue damage due to sudden rupture of brain blood vessels or blockage of blood vessels, which prevents blood from flowing into the brain tissue. It includes two major categories: ischemic (such as cerebral infarction and cerebral thrombosis) and hemorrhagic (such as cerebral hemorrhage). In China, the incidence of ischemic stroke is much higher than that of hemorrhagic stroke.

Thrombolysis is currently an effective method for treating acute ischemic stroke. Specifically, it refers to the use of drugs to dissolve blood clots in cerebral arteries, allowing blocked cerebral blood vessels to quickly reopen, restore normal blood flow, and reduce brain nerve cell necrosis. Commonly used thrombolytic drugs in clinical practice include tissue plasminogen activator and urokinase, with two routes of administration: intravenous and arterial. There are also new thrombolytic drugs under research.

Is thrombolysis really that magical?

Previously, a video promoting thrombolysis was circulated on the Internet, which promoted the good effects of thrombolysis on stroke. Is thrombolysis really so magical? The answer is yes, but it must be performed within a certain time window. This premise is very important . For this time window, the best time is within 4.5 hours of acute onset, and patients can still benefit within 6 hours. We are currently studying how to further expand the time window so that more patients can benefit.

If acute ischemic stroke is not treated promptly, 1.9 million brain cells will die for every minute of delay, which can lead to hemiplegia and aphasia, or even death. Therefore, the earlier thrombolysis is performed, the better the effect.

It should be noted that thrombolytic therapy has strict indications and contraindications, and not all stroke patients can receive thrombolytic therapy within the time window. Thrombolytic therapy also has certain risks, such as the possibility of cerebral hemorrhage, but the benefits of timely treatment far outweigh the risks. Doctors will screen and make decisions based on the patient's specific condition, and surgical thrombectomy or other drug treatments may also be options for doctors.

How to identify early stroke?

To identify the early symptoms of stroke, remember the "BE FAST formula" . The first five letters each represent an early symptom, and the last letter is a reminder that once stroke symptoms are discovered, you should immediately call the emergency number and seek medical attention as soon as possible.

B – Balance refers to loss of balance, equilibrium or coordination, and sudden difficulty walking;

E——Eyes refers to the eyes, sudden changes in vision, difficulty seeing;

F——Face refers to the face, which is asymmetrical and has crooked corners of the mouth;

A--Arms refers to the arms, sudden weakness or numbness in the arms, usually on one side of the body;

S——Speech refers to language, speaking unclearly and unable to understand other people’s language;

T——Time refers to time. The above symptoms indicate a possible stroke. Please do not wait for the symptoms to disappear on their own. Call 120 immediately for medical assistance.

It should be noted that calling 120 to send the patient to the hospital for emergency treatment should not only be quick, but also the right hospital. You should choose a hospital with a stroke center and qualified medical treatment providers for emergency treatment.

What should I do before the ambulance arrives?

Try to let the patient lie flat, on his back, with his head tilted to one side to prevent choking or suffocation, loosen the collar buttons, and keep the airway open.

Remember not to blindly feed the patient water, drinks or medicine to avoid delaying the condition.

Be sure to record the time of onset and do not transfer on your own.

Do not drag, pull, carry or lift the patient.

At present, many hospitals across the country have the ability to treat stroke, and have set up green channels for stroke treatment. If stroke symptoms occur, patients must call "120" immediately and go to a hospital with treatment capabilities to see a doctor, so as not to miss the golden window of time for stroke treatment. For a list of hospitals with stroke treatment capabilities, you can browse and check the official website of the National Health Commission's Stroke Prevention and Treatment Project - China Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease Network.