Heart and Stroke – Have Your Say

Filed in Recent News by December 4, 2018

IN country areas the response time for heart attacks and stroke is critical and it begins with the patient.

Noticing the signs and symptoms of a heart attack or stroke and acting immediately could make a life or death difference.

The Heart Foundation and Stroke Foundation are doing a survey…see below and have your say.

Dr Richard Abbott, partner at the Scone Medical Practice,

“Certainly dedicated stroke units have better outcomes, which is difficult from a country point of view because to access in a timely fashion can be an issue,” said Dr Abbott.

“We (Scott Memorial Hospital) do cardiac thrombolysis which is slightly different to stroke, where that needs to be performed at a bigger hospital,” he said.

“But triple-0 is the go,” he said.

“For both stroke and heart attack the ambulance is the best place, because they can provide immediate help,” he said.

“For heart attack they can also do thrombolysis (for heart) and give early treatment in the ambulance” he said.

“Prevention is always the key, having regular health checks and maintaining good control of your blood pressure, watching your weight and other risk factors like diabetes, all of that is critical,” Dr Richard Abbott said.

Mark Bell, manager of Scone Ambulance, said people should not hesitate to call the ambulance.

“It is frustrating that people worry about calling us and wait for symptoms to become worse,” said Mr Bell.

“We are here and the best case scenario is we go to them and they are ok, we definitely don’t see that as a waste of our time, we want people to call and not wait,” Mark Bell said.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STROKE:

A fast way to assess if someone may be having a stroke is as follows:

  • F: FACE: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
  • A: ARMS: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
  • S: SPEECH: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?
  • T: TIME: If you observe any of these signs, call 000 immediately.

More information on: FAST.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEART ATTACK:

Signs of a heart attack may present differently in men and women and in individuals.

Some common signs and symptoms include:

  • discomfort or pain in the chest;
  • discomfort in your arms, shoulders, neck, jaw or back;
  • shortness of breath;
  • nauseousness;
  • a cold sweat, or
  • feeling dizzy or light-headed.

More information on heath attack signs and symptoms: Heart Foundation.

SURVEY

A survey for the National Heart and Stroke Action Plan is open and people are encouraged to have their to improve services.

Adjunct Professor John Kelly, Chef Executive Officer of the Heart Foundation Group encourages people to do the survey.

“We need your input to identify gaps in the current system and to prioritise actions that federal, state and territory governments  can implement to reduce the toll of heart disease and stroke in our communities,” Professor Kelly said.

“The survey should take no more than 15 minutes and is open until Friday 14 December, 2018.

“We must do all we can to prevent chronic disease, reduce avoidable hospital admissions, build on our existing health care services and improve the quality of life for people living with heart disease and stroke, and their families.”

Take the survey: Heart Foundation.

Copyright 2024 © Wavelength Group Pty Ltd.    
Site map protected by patent. All rights reserved. Sitemap Terms and Conditions | Google Recaptcha Privacy | Terms