The leading cause of physical disability and the second leading cause of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease,Stroke affects an average of 130,000 people per year in France, causing 33,000 deaths. More than 77,000 victims suffer sequelae until the end of their life (aphasia, memory problems, etc.). Still, those numbers could be halved if victims were taken care of within 24 hours of symptoms, according to the results of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Develop specialist units in AIT
In 25% of cases, the stroke is indeed preceded by a transient ischemic attack (TIA), a sudden and temporary neurological deficit. Loss of speech, disturbance of balance, these clinical symptoms last less than an hour and are reversible. If patients were taken care of within 24 hours of their appearance, the risk of stroke would be halved.
The Pierre-Amarenco team, neurologist and director of the reception and treatment center for stroke at Bichat hospital, followed 4,789 patients. A total of 78.4% of patients were evaluated by specialists in theStroke within 24 hours of onset of symptoms. One year after their TIA, these people followed very early saw their risk of stroke drop to 6.2%.
“Early treatment of TIAs could halve the risk ofStroke », Concludes Professor Pierre-Amarenco.
“Until then, when patients did a TIA, they were sent to the hospital emergency room, but since their symptoms had disappeared, they were sent home and then referred to their attending physician. The prescribed examinations were carried out within 15 minutes. days. In the meantime, many patients were Stroke“, explains the professor to the daily Le Monde.
There are two units in France specializing in AIT, one in Toulouse and the other in Paris. While the United Kingdom has more than 200.
“We estimate that these clinics saved 10,000 Stroke per year in the United Kingdom, and to save 200 million pounds sterling just in terms of acute care costs ”, concludes Peter Rothwell in the daily Le Monde.
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