Paramedics urge Victorians to know the F.A.S.T. signs of stroke
August 5, 2024in News
Ambulance Victoria paramedics will be out in force to share the F.A.S.T signs of stroke with their communities this National Stroke Week (5-11 August).
A stroke occurs when blood supply to the brain is interrupted and when it happens, you need to act fast.
A person suffers a stroke every 19 minutes in Australia and it’s one of Victoria’s biggest killers and a leading cause of disability.
Ambulance Victoria Regional Director Michael Georgiou said Victorians can make a life-changing difference by knowing the signs of stroke and calling Triple Zero (000) immediately.
“This National Stroke Week, we’re encouraging all Victorians to learn the F.A.S.T signs of stroke so you can quickly take action if a friend or loved one is experiencing a medical emergency,” Mr Georgiou said.
“This year’s theme is ‘keep looking at your mate’ and it’s as simple as that, know the signs and you could save someone’s life.”
Mr Georgiou said timing is critical in stroke and the sooner paramedics arrive and transport patients for clot-busting treatment, the better the person’s chance of surviving and maintaining a good quality of life.
“Improving stroke outcomes for our patients is an ongoing focus at Ambulance Victoria and we are proud of the innovative work we do in this field,” Mr Georgiou said.
Ambulance Victoria’s world-leading Mobile Stroke Unit (MSU), a specialist ambulance that provides rapid assessment and treatment for stroke in collaboration with the Royal Melbourne Hospital, has now provided care for more than 3000 patients across Melbourne.
“After arriving at a patient, the MSU team is able to perform a CT scan in the ambulance in as little as six minutes, leading to much faster diagnosis and commencement of treatment,” Mr Georgiou said.
“More than 50 per cent of all cases the MSU has attended have been confirmed as stroke, with patients able to receive thrombolysis (clot busting treatment) in half the time as they would after arriving at most hospitals.”
In the past 12 months, more than 800 paramedics from the Metropolitan, Hume and Loddon Mallee region have been trained to a use a new telestroke app for use in standard ambulances, which can assist with faster diagnosis of stroke and impending stroke.
“The app allows paramedics to directly consult with a neurologist and helps fast-track transport to the Royal Melbourne Hospital so patients can receive treatment faster, potentially leading to better outcomes,” Mr Georgiou said.
Ambulance Victoria’s Victorian Stroke Telemedicine (VST) is a life-saving service that allows stroke patients, particularly in regional locations, to get the care they need faster and closer to home.
Many rural and regional hospitals do not have stroke specialists on site.
However, this 24/7 virtual service links 19 Victorian hospitals and three Tasmanian hospitals to a network of expert neurologists who can review patient brain scans, provide quick diagnosis and support local hospital staff to deliver time-critical clot busting treatment.
In 2023-24, there was a further expansion of the service to the Mersey Community Hospital in northwest Tasmania and to Portland District Health Urgent Care Centre (UCC).
More than 25,000 patients have received life-saving stroke care in the past decade thanks to the VST service.
As part of National Stroke Week, paramedics and first responders will be running stroke awareness sessions across the state, teaching community members the F.A.S.T test.
Learn more about the MSU and the VST services on the Ambulance Victoria website, and find out more about the signs of stroke at Stroke Foundation.