Parkland Stroke Program staff reminds others to think 'FAST'

DALLAS – As part of May’s National Stroke Awareness Month, Parkland Health & Hospital System is reminding everyone to think “FAST” when someone may be suffering from a stroke. 

FAST is an acronym anyone can use to determine if someone might be having a stroke: F – face droops on one side, A – arms drift downward when raised, S – speech is slurred, and T – time is critical, call 9-1-1 immediately. 

In addition, Parkland’s stroke staff and other Metroplex facilities have teamed up with the Texas Rangers for “Strike Out Stroke” at 7:05 p.m., Wednesday, May 29 at the Ballpark in Arlington. Stroke Program staff from the region will hand out information before the game, a 15-second public service announcement will be shown on the scoreboard, four stroke survivors from the area will attend batting practice and one lucky survivor will throw out the first pitch. The Rangers are donating $5 per ticket to the region’s multi-facility “Strike Out Stroke” awareness campaign to help educate the public about strokes.

As a state designated Primary Stroke Facility Level II, Parkland is one of a few local hospitals providing continuous 24-hour stroke care. In fiscal year 2012, 1,137 hospitalized patients were either diagnosed with a stroke or received a consult for stroke-like symptoms.

“Up to 80 percent of strokes can be prevented by controlling risks factors such as high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, which is a type of irregular heartbeat, smoking, diabetes and high cholesterol,” said Jennifer Cross, Advanced Practice Nurse and Stroke Program Coordinator at Parkland.

Watching for stroke symptoms is also important, Cross said. Symptoms include a sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg especially on one side of the body, sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding, and sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.

“If a person is suddenly having trouble walking, talking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, and develops a sudden severe headache with no known cause, it’s important to call 9-1-1 immediately,” Cross added.

The state of Texas determines eligibility for designation as a primary stroke center based on whether the facility is in good standing with The Joint Commission, an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies U.S. health care organizations and programs. The state requires its primary stroke centers to maintain Joint Commission stroke center certification, which Parkland first obtained in 2008.