ORANGE hospital stroke care co-ordinator Fiona Ryan said early treatment for stroke is essential and people need to be aware of the signs, which will enable them to seek help without delay.
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On the eve of Stroke Awareness Week which begins on September 8, Ms Ryan said even if initial symptoms subside people shouldn’t ignore the signs.
“It is important to have investigations and management to prevent further and possible worse outcomes,” she said.
Ms Ryan said two thirds of all strokes are preventable and it’s largely lifestyle factors such as smoking, a poor diet and lack of exercise which can lead to a stroke.
“We treat people from the age of 20 upwards who have had a stroke for a variety of reasons,” Ms Ryan said.
Ms Ryan said there had been significant improvements over the last 20 years in the way medications prescribed by doctors can assist patients who are hypertensive and may be potential stroke victims.
“But in our society today we have got away from the basics of a good diet, enough exercise and smoking,” she said.
For smokers, giving up remains a huge challenge.
“When people are in hospital after they have had a stroke they commit to giving up smoking, however it’s much harder for them when they return to their home,” she said.
The stroke unit at Orange hospital has the potential to improve outcomes for stroke patients by as much as 20 per cent.
“The goal of providing this specialised care is to reduce the impact of the stroke, avoid complications, reduce the risk of stroke recurring and commence early rehabilitation,” Ms Ryan said.
The unit cares for people not only from Orange but areas including Grenfell, Trundle, Condobolin and all centres in between.
Ms Ryan said smaller centres don’t have the capacity to provide what is recommended for acute stroke care, but all the systems are in place to facilitate timely transfer to Orange Health Service.
From January last year the unit has been involved in the Stroke Reperfusion Program which aims to shorten the journey for those patients who could potentially receive stroke thrombolysis.
Ambulance paramedics who are trained to identify these patients can expedite transport to Orange by passing smaller hospitals on the way and calling ahead to ensure all staff are ready to receive the patient.
janice.harris@fairfaxmedia.com.au
