Health officials stress the need to think FAST
Health officials stress the need to think FAST
The Irish Heart Foundation has launched a new campaign to help raise awareness of the early warning signs and symptoms of stroke.As part of National Brain Awareness Week, the charity has joined up with the Health Service Executive Dublin Midlands Stroke Network Partnership to stress the importance of thinking FAST.
The acronym stands for Face, Arm, Speech and Time, highlighting the main assessment principles involved in spotting a stroke.
Stroke currently accounts for more than seven per cent of all deaths in Ireland, but health officials said lives could be saved by raising public awareness.
"Time is of the essence when you are dealing with a suspected stroke patient," said professor Sean Murphy, director of stroke services at the Midland Regional Hospital at Mullingar.
"There is a general lack of awareness of the symptoms and signs of stroke and that much can be done in the early phases through appropriate use of clot dissolving treatment."
The campaign will be running until March 14th, highlighting the urgency of hospital treatment following the first signs of stroke.
According to the Irish Heart Foundation, stroke is the third most common cause of death in Ireland.
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