Speed is key in stroke response, says Yale University study

A new study by Yale University researchers has revealed that while responding to a stroke, speed is a crucial factor. The study reveals new insights into stroke response.

While across the United States, delays in stroke treatment can be significant, the new study by Yale University has revealed that when responding to a stroke, speed is a crucial factor. As long as it takes for the patient to reach the hospital, worse it can be for the life of the patient.

The study has uncovered new insights for stroke treatment. It says that interventions should be focused in order to improve stroke outcomes across the country.

As per the study, during an acute stroke, a blood clot reaches the brain, which blocks the blood flow needed for brain tissue. The longer it takes to restore blood flow, the more tissue will be damaged. The affected brain region will be responsible for reduced abilities in the patients.

Yale Study on Stroke: More Details

Presently, there are two treatments available for stroke that involve breaking the blood clot to restore blood flow using a drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) or through a physical approach where the doctors remove the clot with a tiny tube threaded through a patient’s blood vessels.

Kevin Sheth, professor of neurology and neurosurgery at Yale School of Medicine and senior author of the new study said, "Both are time-dependent. The window to use tPA closes four and a half hours after the stroke. Physical removal is more complicated but can be done up to 12 to 16 hours after the stroke begins. But every minute counts, and even within those windows earlier is better.”

“The most powerful motivator for going to the emergency department is pain. But stroke isn’t usually associated with pain. Plus, neurological symptoms can be weird, leaving people unsure of what’s occurring. So informing people about the signs of stroke could help motivate people to seek treatment earlier," said Sheth.

More ideas for interventions are also needed. “For how big a problem this is, there hasn’t really been an effort to propose or test new interventions. So we need new ideas because the single biggest problem in treating acute stroke is getting people to the hospital fast enough," added the Professor.

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