Attention: This text only offers an overview of first aid measures. He does not replace a first aid course. Course offers offer the German Red Cross, the Maltese, the Johanniter and the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund.
You are visiting your grandmother. They are drinking coffee together in the garden and chatting when their grandma suddenly drops the cup from her hand. They ask if everything is all right, but the answer of the elderly lady is incomprehensible. One of the corners of her mouth is hanging down.
What's up?
Your grandmother is very likely to have a stroke. It is one of around 270,000 people in Germany every year. In this medical emergency, parts of the brain are suddenly no longer sufficiently supplied with nutrients and oxygen. In 80 to 85 percent of cases, the disease is based on a closed vessel. Then one speaks of a brain infarction. In 10 to 15 percent of those affected, a burst blood vessel bleeds into the brain tissue or into the liquor room. Risk factors include cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus and obesity, alcohol consumption and smoking. Men and the elderly develop more often than women and younger ones.
Often, patients report sudden severe headaches, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, as well as unilateral paralysis of the arms and legs. Depending on the affected area of the brain, different functions fail: if the facial nerve is damaged, the corner of the mouth hangs down on one side, and the eyelid on the same side is closed. Some patients also have problems speaking and swallowing, some see worse in one eye or lose consciousness. The complaints are not always clear.
Why is that dangerous?
The stroke is considered the second most common cause of death worldwide. Almost every second affected person dies within five years of a stroke, every fifth gets another stroke. Life -threatening complications can occur shortly after the incident. This includes high brain pressure, blood clots in the lungs, cardiac arrhythmias and heart failure. Often people remain disabled after a stroke. In addition, a third of them fall ill with depression that affect the regeneration process.
Certainly help
First aid saves lives. Therefore, if someone gets into a medical emergency situation, we are all obliged to help. Nevertheless, many people hesitate in an emergency, often for fear of making mistakes. However, this uncertainty does not have to remain. In our series "Helping safely" we explain what to do in an emergency: how to recognize a stroke? What information does the emergency call need? And when is it necessary to resuscitate?
How can I help?
A stroke is a life-threatening emergency. First responders must dial 112 immediately. The first hours after a stroke decide how much the brain is damaged. So the following applies: Time is brain, as the University Hospital RWTH Aachen writes. In order to check whether the person concerned is conscious, the helpers should address them and possibly shake their shoulders gently. If the person is conscious, he should be positioned comfortably and with his upper body elevated. The paralyzed half of the body is padded. At the same time, the helpers remain calm and shield the affected person from the environment if necessary. Helpers are not allowed to give her food or drink or medication, as there is a risk that she will choke and the particles will get into the lungs. If the sick person is unconscious, but breathing normally, helpers should bring him to a stable side position, without raising the upper body. They will stay with the person until the rescue workers have arrived and, if possible, get further assistance. In addition, helpers regularly check whether the person concerned is still conscious and breathing regularly. If the person is no longer breathing or is not breathing normally, resuscitation is started immediately. You can also find instructions on first aid for a stroke at the Stiftung Deutsche Schlaganfall Hilfe or the German Red Cross, among others.
If you are unsure whether this has a stroke, you can test the symptoms with the help of the fast method: the acronym stands for "face" (face), "arms" (arms), "speech" and »timee " (Time). First of all, the person concerned is asked to smile. A hanging angle of mouth speaks for a stroke. After that, she should try to stretch both arms forward and turn the palms up. In the event of a stroke, you cannot usually keep an arm in the air. It may be turning so that the palm of your hand is pointing down. Next, you let the person repeat a simple sentence, for example "it rains outside". It may not be able to repeat the words correctly or only indistinctly. If one of the reactions is striking, helpers must immediately choose the emergency call. If it is possible to initiate professional therapy within 90 minutes of the beginning of the symptoms, the risk of long -term consequences decreases considerably.
What's next?
If the person concerned has a stable circulation, he or she will be brought to the nearest hospital with a stroke department as quickly as possible, the "Stroke Unit". There, the experts first create a picture of the brain using computer tomography (CT). This reveals them where the stroke has its origin and whether bleeding or a blocked container causes the symptoms. Based on the finding, the doctors decide which therapy they initiate: In the first four and a half hours after inserting the symptoms, they usually try to reopen the closed vessel medication. However, such medicines may not be given if the person has bleeding wounds. The means would increase bleeding. Alternatively, you try to remove the blockade with the help of a thin hose. In the event of a brain hemorrhage, the therapy depends on the individual finding; For example, heavy bleeding often must be treated surgically.
Sometimes the symptoms of a stroke improve on their own after a few minutes to several hours. Then the sufferers have probably suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA). In such cases, the blood vessels were only temporarily clogged.
Even if the symptoms disappear again, those affected must be treated immediately: a TIA is considered an early warning sign for a stroke. Affected people have an increased risk of stroke both short and long-term. That is why you get anti -coagulation medication.
After the first emergency treatment, the affected person is given medication to prevent future strokes. In addition, various rehabilitation measures are starting: in speech therapy sessions, for example, she practices swallowing and speaking, or she trains weakened muscles in physiotherapy and occupational therapy units.
