Research highlights emergency response improvements for stroke patients in Finland
Recent doctoral research indicates that severe blockage of a cerebral artery can be addressed more swiftly by streamlining the treatment chain. Strokes often occur unexpectedly and within minutes, necessitating urgent care. In his dissertation, physician Pauli Vuorinen explored whether a significant cerebral artery blockage can be identified during emergency calls and whether a medical helicopter could be utilized for transporting these patients to university hospitals.
In Finland, approximately 24,000 people suffer a stroke annually, with 17,000 experiencing a cerebral infarction. One-fifth of those affected are of working age. Around 50-70% of individuals recover to independent living three months after a cerebral infarction.
Vuorinen’s research aimed to determine if severe stroke symptoms could be recognized through a phenomenon known as forced gaze deviation, where a patient’s gaze or head turns away from the paralyzed side. “Forced gaze deviation is a common finding in cases of cerebral infarction resulting from a large artery blockage. The paralyzed patient cannot look toward the affected area, instead following events only on the non-affected side,” he explained to Yle.
Emergency callers reported symptoms such as limb dysfunction, drooping mouth corners, and speech disturbances. However, inquiries about forced gaze were not always made. When mentioned, it almost invariably indicated a significant artery blockage. The prognosis worsens if treatment is delayed.
Based on these findings, Vuorinen suggests improvements for handling emergency calls and helicopter use. He found that using a medical helicopter sped up the process when transporting patients directly from a central hospital to a university hospital. However, when patients were picked up from their homes, ambulance and helicopter times were nearly equal. The use of the helicopter assisted ambulances in reaching their locations more quickly. The dissertation is set to be examined on August 23.