Central Otago people with stroke symptoms are being urged by medical authorities to be less stoic and more reactive, the Southern District Health Board says.

Too many Southerners who have suffered stroke symptoms are reluctant to go to hospital for immediate treatment, Southland Hospital clinical director of medicine Dr Prosen Ghosh said.

He said they often wait to see if their symptoms will subside with time “but with a stroke this is not a good thing.”

Southerners are inherently stoic but they need to realise a stroke is a medical emergency and it’s critical they rapidly seek hospital treatment, Dr Ghosh said.  

“Knowing the signs and seeking help earlier rather than later leads to better health outcomes and reduces the risk of ongoing disability,” he said.

A stroke is a brain attack and a medical emergency, and people need to take action by calling 111 immediately if they see any of the signs.

Think FAST is a mnemonic, which is an easy way for people to remember the signs of a stroke and what to do. FAST stands for Face, Arm, Speech, Take Action; is their face drooping on one side? Is one arm weak? Is their speech mixed up, slurred or lost? Take action - call 111.

“If you experience any of the FAST symptoms, don’t call your GP, call an ambulance immediately. The quicker you get to hospital the better the outcome is likely to be. Time is of the essence here,” Dr Ghosh said.

His call comes at the same time as the Ministry of Health, the Stroke Foundation New Zealand and Te Hiringa Hauora are running the 2020 national FAST campaign, to teach New Zealanders the signs of stroke.

He said getting to hospital as soon as possible enables new therapies to be most effective, including thrombolysis and clot retrieval.

Thrombolysis administers a clot-busting drug that attempts to stop the stroke. It needs to be administered within 4.5 hours from stroke onset but the earlier it’s given, the better the outcome.

Patients can also be flown to Christchurch Hospital where neurologists pass a fine wire into the vessels of the brain to retrieve the clot.

“Clot retrieval has even better outcomes than thrombolysis and is now the gold standard of acute treatment for stroke throughout the world. It is state-of-the-art and since the beginning of this year has been available to [Southern] patients.”  

Ideally doctors would like to see patients at their local hospital within the first hour of experiencing symptoms, so they can begin treatment as soon as possible, Dr Ghosh said.

PHOTO: Supplied