Ignorance of strokes, arriving late to hosp raise risk of disability, death, say doctors

Panaji: More than the high incidence of stroke cases, doctors in Goa are increasingly worried about patients arriving late for treatment, even though the state offers top-class public healthcare.“Patients reach hospitals late due to lack of awareness of the different signs of a stroke, as well as lack of knowledge of its permanent sequelae and the time-bound nature of treatment that can make a difference,” said professor and head of GMC’s neurology department, Dr Teresa Ferreira, .“Many prefer to wait for it to improve, but it can worsen over the next 24 hours,” she said, adding that many are unaware of other symptoms such as sudden inability to speak or understand language, loss of balance, or vision.GMC’s emergency department handles between three and five acute stroke cases daily, ranging from mild to severe.Experts say that strokes can often be prevented through regular blood pressure checks and control of other risk factors. However, ignorance about early warning signs and the tendency to seek help from unqualified practitioners cause patients to lose precious golden hours, raising the risk of permanent disability or death.

Consultant neurophysician Dr Gajanan Panandikar said, “We continue to see cases where stroke patients from Margao are taken to centres that offer nothing more than multivitamin injections as a placebo, wasting the crucial window for treatment”.“Quick recognition and immediate hospital care can make the difference between life, disability, and death. Stroke thrombolysis medication to dissolve clots must be given as soon as possible after symptoms begin,” said associate professor and interventional neurologist, Dr Sanat Bhatkar.“Results are much better in the first hour as brain cells cannot survive more than a few seconds to minutes without oxygen and glucose,” said Ferreira. “Thousands to millions of neurons die every minute after an acute stroke, and these cells can never be regenerated,” she added.“Treatment after the acute phase is aimed at preventing another stroke. Physiotherapy is crucial and should be done multiple times a day for at least a year.

Those who follow it regularly show significant recovery,” she said.According to GMC’s head of neurosurgery, Dr Ponraj Sundaram, the hospital conducts around 200 neurosurgeries annually on stroke patients. “In a month, GMC sees about 50 deaths related to stroke and its complications. These are totally preventable with regular BP checks and control of risk factors,” he said.“Even after life-saving surgery, patients often remain disabled, with paralysis or loss of speech if the dominant hemisphere is affected,” he added.“Prevention of stroke starts in one’s 20s and 30s,” said Ferreira. “We need to focus on a healthy lifestyle, diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, hydration, screening for BP, diabetes, and cholesterol, and avoiding smoking, alcohol abuse, and drugs. Everyone must know what a stroke is and how to prevent it, because no treatment can save your brain better than prevention.”