A new study by German researchers has revealed that most stroke patients put their lives at risk by ignoring or failing to recognize the symptoms of stroke and going to bed or waiting to see their family doctor instead of calling an ambulance. Dr Sebastian Kiock and colleagues at the University of Cologne found that just 30% to 40% of 2400 stroke patients understood the seriousness of their condition and phoned an ambulance. Of those patients that phoned an ambulance, half were receiving treatment in emergency rooms within three hours. Meanwhile just one in four patients who contacted their family doctor managed to get medical help within the critical three-hour period. However, the most worrying finding was that one in four people failed to take any action whatsoever when they experienced symptoms, and that the younger a patient was the more likely they were to ignore the symptoms. A staggering 50% of those aged 40 or younger simply put themselves to bed believing they would feel better in the morning.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.reutershealth.com on the 19th December 2002
