Three hours.
When someone you know suffers a stroke, that’s how much time they have to get to the mainland, have a CT scan and receive the right drugs. Quickly recognizing symptoms could save their life.
“Time is of the essence in preventing or limiting permanent disability,” said fire medic Patrick Shepler. “About three hours from onset is when it becomes more dangerous to give the special clot-busting drugs that are normally given.”
A stroke cuts off blood supply and oxygen to the brain, so every minute counts.
But there are two kind of strokes.
Most (87 percent) are ischemic, caused by blood clots in the brain, and blood thinners can dissolve the clot, lessening the damage. The rest are hemorrhagic, caused by a ruptured blood vessel; in that case, blood thinners can worsen the bleeding.
Orcas Island emergency responders can’t treat strokes here on the island; they can only provide palliative care, oxygen – and rapid transport to a hospital.
“The symptoms are the same,” said Shepler. “There’s no way to tell without a CT scan. They have to get to a hospital very quickly … that’s why the public recognizing is so critical.”
Challenges in transporting patients off the island make it even more crucial for islanders to be able to quickly recognize the symptoms of stroke. Sometimes the medical helicopters can’t land, or the sheriff’s boat is out of commission, and it can take a while to coordinate transport.
Shepler described a recent call that came at 4 a.m.: “Because of bad weather Airlift NW couldn’t fly, the sheriff’s boat was broken, even the Navy couldn’t fly; we ended up having to put the patient on an ambulance on the ferry (the red-eye),” said Shepler. “That is not infrequent during the wintertime.”
Orcas Island Fire Rescue, taking the lead from the National Stroke Association, is working to educate islanders in order to stop strokes. On World Stroke Day, Friday, October 29, Shepler will host a talk about how to quickly recognize stroke symptoms and seek lifesaving treatment, as well as how to reduce your risk. The two-hour class will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at the Eastsound Fire Station.
The goal is to teach community members to recognize signs of stroke, so that fewer of our family members, friends and neighbors will die, or have to painfully relearn how to walk, talk or eat after surviving a stroke.
“(Drugs) can diminish the size of stroke and the affected area. We have a three-hour window from onset until the therapy has to be initiated, so the faster the recognition, the better chance of a positive and improved outcome,” said fire medic Miklos Preysz. “People can be back to normal if caught early enough.”
