Why stroke patients delay seeking help
Prior knowledge about stroke is a key factor determining how long it takes patients to present to an emergency department (ED) after becoming aware of symptoms, according to Australian emergency medicine specialist, Dr Jonathan Knott.
Dr Knott, with colleagues Kathryn Lee and Peter Hand, director of the Stroke Unit from Royal Melbourne Hospital, studied almost 300 stroke patients presenting to the ED.
They presented their findings to the 25th annual scientific meeting of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine.
This study found that on average patients took two hours to arrive in the ED but that some patients waited many hours or days after the onset of symptoms.
Their reasons for delay included night-time onset, being alone at symptom onset, uncertainty as to the cause of their symptoms, atypical stroke symptoms such as nausea or vomiting, visiting family or friends, or attending the local medical officer.
Future campaigns to accelerate stroke presentation must target recognition of non-classical stroke symptoms and encourage direct transfer to hospital, the researchers advised.
