Stroke
A stroke can be caused by a burst blood vessel that causes internal bleeding in the skull and causes pressure on the brain tissue.
Signs/Symptoms of a Stroke
What to do:
Act according to the acronym 'FAST'
Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of their face droop?
Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?
Time: If you observe any of these signs, call triple zero (000) immediately.
1. Assess the patient's level of consciousness:
Signs/Symptoms of a Stroke
- Tingling, numbness and weakness on one side of the body
- Loss of muscle tone on one side of the face; drooping on one side of the face.
- Blurred or double vision
- Nausea
- Loss of speech/meaningless sounds
- Loss of balance and coordination
- Deteriorating conscious state or unconscious
What to do:
Act according to the acronym 'FAST'
Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of their face droop?
Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?
Time: If you observe any of these signs, call triple zero (000) immediately.
1. Assess the patient's level of consciousness:
- If the patient is unconscious and breathing normally or not fully alert, place the patient into recovery position.
- Call triple zero (000) for an ambulance. It is important to act quickly because if there is a clot in the brain, treatment needs to begin within one to two hours of the stroke.
2. How to care for a conscious patient:
- Help the patient into a comfortable position.
- Cover the patient to reduce the loss of body heat.
3. Watch the patient:
- While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, watch for any changes in the patient's condition.
- Place patient into the recovery position if their conscious state begins to deteriorate.