Stroke: Recognise It, Act Within the Hour

• F: Face — does one side droop?
• A: Arms — can the person raise both?
• S: Speech — is it slurred?
• T: Time — call emergency services immediately

Two main types

Ischemic strokes (85%) come from a blocked vessel; hemorrhagic strokes (15%) from a ruptured vessel. Imaging distinguishes them rapidly.

Treatment window

Thrombolysis is most effective within 4.5 hours; mechanical thrombectomy extends the window for large-vessel occlusions to 6-24 hours in selected patients.

Prevention

Blood pressure control, atrial fibrillation anticoagulation, statin therapy when indicated, smoking cessation and physical activity dramatically reduce risk.

Calling emergency services beats driving to hospital: ambulance teams pre-alert stroke units.