Stroke Treatment Time Guidelines Change

Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the U.S., and the leading cause of disability. There are new guidelines out by the American Stroke Association that changes the amount of time you have to get a loved one to the hospital.

Thursday, July 16th 2009, 1:06 pm

By: News 9


News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY - Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the U.S., and the leading cause of disability.

There are new guidelines out by the American Stroke Association that changes the amount of time you have to get a loved one to the hospital.

Read the Chicago Tribune's post about the expansion time for treating a stroke.

Previously, there was a three-hour window to get a person to the hospital if they had signs of stroke. Now, that window of treatment time has been expanded to 4 1/2 hours. This change still means you must get the person to the hospital as quickly as possible.

The average Oklahoman waits 13 hours which is too late.

F.A.S.T. is an acronym to remember the symptoms of a stroke and what you need to do.

F: Face- ask person to smile
A: Arm- ask person to raise both arms
S: Speech- ask person to repeat a simple phrase
T: Time- don't waste time

Mercy provides a poster on how to spot a stroke, so you can act F.A.S.T.

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