Freeze the Stroke

American Heart Association: July 17, 2012.

Public Awareness Program for Immediate Detection of First Symptoms

The capacity of the general population to identify stroke signs is a major determinant for success of prehospital emergency pathways. Previous educational strategies using the media were usually short-lived and expensive. Tailoring information programs for special subgroups like acute stroke relatives may improve this situation.

Methods—A poster was assembled that included a list of stroke signs and instructions to call 911. Consecutive admissions to the stroke unit were randomized. Intervention consisted of an educational session with relatives, in which a nurse delivered 5 posters and asked for their placement on the freezer door at the kitchen of the patient’s house and each of 4 neighboring houses. One month later, a questionnaire was administered to both groups. Read More