More than 800,000 strokes happen each year in the United States; in fact, someone in the U.S. has a stroke every 40 seconds. When you suspect that you or another person is experiencing a stroke, quick and decisive action is critical, as strokes require immediate treatment to help minimize brain injury. 

In honor of Stroke Awareness Month, below we explain the F.A.S.T. acronym, recommended by the American Stroke Association, which identifies the signs of a stroke and may help save someone’s life.

F.A.S.T. Recommendations

Using the letters in F.A.S.T., you can spot stroke signs in yourself or others, and know when to call 9-1-1:

Face

Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Is the person’s smile uneven or lopsided?

Arms

Ask the person to raise both arms. Is one arm weak or numb? Does one arm drift downward?

Speech

Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? 

Time

Call 9-1-1 at the first sign of a stroke. If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and bring them to the hospital immediately.

Additional symptoms of stroke include sudden numbness, confusion, trouble seeing or walking, or severe headache. If someone shows any of these symptoms, it is essential that 9-1-1 is called immediately. 

MindRhythm Expedites Stroke Time-to-Treatment

When minutes count, MindRhythm can save hours. MindRhythm has developed a technology that significantly expedites time-to-treatment, which is the most important factor in improving stroke outcomes. MindRhythm’s Harmony, a novel, non-invasive diagnostic medical device, provides EMTs or other offsite healthcare providers with valuable insight into a patient’s status to streamline stroke triage in the prehospital setting. 

Harmony rapidly identifies patients with Large Vessel Occlusion (LVO) strokes, the most debilitating of all stroke types. These patients benefit from rapid transport to Comprehensive Stroke Centers (CSC) that have the physicians, technologists, and equipment needed to remove the clot. Patients without LVO stroke are transported to a Primary Stroke Center (PSC), which is likely closer than the nearest CSC – saving time-to-treatment for patients experiencing other stroke types.

There is no better time than Stroke Awareness Month to learn about the signs of stroke. For more information, we encourage you to visit https://www.stroke.org.

To learn more about MindRhythm, please contact us. 

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