By Dan Murphy
At St. John’s Riverside Hospital, members of the Stroke Program Team share with the public easy ways to identify if a friend or family member is having a stroke. The guidance, from Dr. Raffaele Milizia and Linda Sugrue, RN, is based on the American Stroke Association’s guidelines, with the acronym FAST used as a mnemonic to help detect and enhance responsiveness to the needs of a person having a stroke.
The FAST acronym stands for Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties and Time to call emergency services. The hope is that more people in Yonkers and Westchester can easily remember FAST to detect if a loved one, friend or co-worker has symptoms of a stroke.
“The take home message is for people to have awareness of what stroke symptoms could be, and the next step is to activate the healthcare system by calling 911,” said Dr. Milizia, Medical Director of the St. John’s Riverside Hospital Stroke Program.
“The FAST mnemonic helps people recognize what the stroke symptoms are: loss of function, if you can’t speak, loss or feeling and use of your arm, these are all reasons to call 911 immediately and have the emergency medical staff start to intervene. You don’t have to be the person who says this is a stroke, but just call 911,” said Linda Sugrue, RN.
Other signs to look for are sudden changes to your normal vision, balance, or behavior. The priority should not be thinking about what may be causing it, but to seek medical attention. Don’t wait. These signs should be a trigger for an emergency and to call 911. EMS staff are trained in stroke care and they will notify the Emergency Room before they arrive with the patient. The idea is to reduce time delay when symptoms are found,” said Sugrue.
When it comes to a stroke, how fast you are treated is critical. As one of the only hospitals in the area that is a Gold Plus Certified and Joint Commission Accredited Stroke Center, St. John’s Riverside Hospital has made substantial investments to be ready for you or your family member, with an award-winning stroke team. Access to multi-board-certified doctors, brain scans, and Tissue Plasminogen Activator is are critical and available.
“Stroke care has evolved over the past few years, and different hospitals have different capabilities. Calling an ambulance ensures that you are brought to the hospital that can best treat a stroke,” said Dr. Milizia, who explained that there are two types of a stroke.
Both types of stroke are medical emergencies and you should call 911 immediately. “The most common is a blockage in an artery that brings blood flow to a part of the brain, which results in that part of the brain not functioning correctly. When that part of the brain that controls your functions goes away, you have facial muscle drooping, or your arm or leg might weaken. These types of strokes don’t hurt, but you can lose function and see a change in your behavior.”
“The other type of stroke is a bleeding stroke, where a piece of an artery breaks and blood goes into the brain. That does causes pain and headaches and can also affect your consciousness and behavior,” said Dr. Milizia.
Is there anything that can be done to prevent a stroke?
“High blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol and lack of exercise are all risk factors for stroke. Most of these habits are modifiable and you can work to change them. You can’t change things like your age, your family history or genetics, but you can take your medicine as prescribed, and make smart life choices to improve the health of your brain. Exercise is important, stop smoking, follow up with your medical provider and keep track of your blood sugar and blood pressure numbers,” said Sugrue.
How did COVID, and the pandemic of 2020, affect stroke patients?
Dr. Milizia said, “During the height of COVID in 2020, there were a lot of patients who were afraid to come to the hospital, and they ignored their signs of a stroke. Patients should not delay seeking medical help for fear of COVID.”
Nurse Sugrue said, “There aresafety protocols and infection prevention procedures that we utilize here at St. John’s Hospital. Patients can be confident about coming to the Emergency Room with a stroke, or signs of a stroke. A stroke can leave devastating disabilities behind. That is the main reason to seek emergency medical attention quickly.”
St. John’s Riverside Hospital is certified by both the Joint Commission and New York State as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center. “We collaborate with multiple departments in the hospital utilizing best-practices in stroke care for our community,” said Dr. Milizia, Stroke Medical Director and Emergency Department Medical Director at St. John’s.
“The American Heart Association has recognized St. John’s with the highest award for stroke care. “We have received Gold Plus Certification for stroke care and additional recognition for our care of stroke patients with diabetes.”
Linda Sugrue began as an Emergency Room Nurse and is now Stroke Program Coordinator at St. John’s Riverside Hospital. “We are all passionate about stroke care and reducing the disabilities caused by stroke. Educating the public can be challenging—COVID impacted our in-person efforts to reach out to the community, so we have turned to social media to help get the message out.
YouTube videos of St. John’s Riverside Hospital Doctors can be found at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd65-TPwNRA&list=PL340sSOsuR5zwKEytWFHmA4PFTN25BDiR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnXscq9uB0g
“We take our responsibility as a stroke center very seriously and are committed to serving the city of Yonkers and our surrounding communities. The FAST acronym is an easy way for us to recognize potential signs and symptoms of stroke,” said Sugrue.
Visit riversidehealth.org for more information.
