87.5% of people unaware of stroke symptoms: Study

“An important point which we always emphasise is that there is no first aid for stroke. Take the patient immediately to a hospital having a CT facility,” Dr Nambiar said.
Image used for representational purpose only.
Image used for representational purpose only.

KOCHI: Around 87.5% of people who participated in a survey in Kerala are unaware of stroke symptoms which results in high morbidity and mortality, according to a new study. “Though most of the patients (90%) were taken to the hospital, we found that low awareness on stroke symptoms and risk factors among patients and bystanders causes delay in hospitalisation which further adds to the complexity of the condition,” said Dr Vivek Nambiar, head of division of stroke medicine, neurology, Amrita Hospital, Kochi, who led the study.

“An important point which we always emphasise is that there is no first aid for stroke. Take the patient immediately to a hospital having a CT facility,” Dr Nambiar said. The prevalence of stroke in India varies in different regions of the country and ranges from 40-270 per 1,00,000 population. It has been found that around 12% of people affected with stroke come under the age group above 40.

The present study was done by Amrita Hospital to assess the knowledge of stroke risk factors and symptoms among stroke patients and bystanders. The study was conducted in patients of stroke medicine department from October 2020 to April 2021. A total of 91 patients participated in the survey.

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The New Indian Express
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