Approximately 70 percent of people who suffer a minor stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA, often referred to as mini-stroke) do not correctly identify their symptoms, according to a new study published online in the journal Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. In addition, 30 percent of stroke patients delay seeking medical attention for over 24 hours.

Using data from the Oxford Vascular Study, researchers from the Stroke Prevention Research Unit at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, and their colleagues, studied cases of minor stroke or TIA which occurred from April 2002 to April 2007. They found that, of patients with minor stroke, 46 percent sought medical attention within 3 hours of recognizing possible stroke symptoms. This 3-hour window is important because it is the optimum period of time within which thrombolytic, or clot-busting, medications should be administered. Of patients with TIA, 47 percent sought medical treatment within 3 hours. However, even among those who sought medical attention, 69 percent of minor stroke patients and 68 percent of TIA patients either did not know the cause of their symptoms or assumed incorrect causes. Interestingly, the longest delays in seeking medical treatment for minor stroke or TIA occurred on the weekend, possibly due to patients wanting to wait to see their primary care physician. The researchers found that delays in seeing a healthcare professional for possible stroke were unrelated to age, gender, social class, or level of education.

The findings of this study have a significant impact on public health, suggesting that awareness regarding the importance of recognizing the symptoms of stroke and seeking immediate medical attention for suspected stroke needs to be dramatically increased.

Source:

Stroke. Published online 15 April 2010.