{"id":101467,"date":"2024-08-13T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-12T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/geelongtimes\/?p=101467"},"modified":"2024-08-18T11:15:11","modified_gmt":"2024-08-18T01:15:11","slug":"be-f-a-s-t-and-learn-the-signs-of-stroke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/geelongtimes\/living\/be-f-a-s-t-and-learn-the-signs-of-stroke\/","title":{"rendered":"Be F.A.S.T. and learn the signs of stroke"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ambulance Victoria paramedics are out in force this week sharing the F.A.S.T. signs of stroke with their communities during National Stroke Week.<\/p>\n

A stroke occurs when blood supply to the brain is interrupted and when it happens, you need to act fast.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Ambulance Victoria regional director Michael Georgiou said Victorians could make a life-changing difference by knowing the signs of stroke and phoning Triple Zero (000) immediately.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

Mr Georgiou said timing was 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.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Many rural and regional hospitals do not have stroke specialists on site.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

More than 25,000 patients have received life-saving stroke care in the past decade thanks to the VST service.<\/p>\n

As part of National Stroke Week – which runs until Sunday, August 11 – paramedics and first responders will be running stroke awareness sessions across the state, teaching community members the F.A.S.T. test:<\/p>\n