Ambulance ride can make a difference

I've seen this happen with a family member - once, coming in to an emergency department by regular car, second time, by ambulance. She was seen a lot quicker when arriving by ambulance. That's key in care for stroke patients.

I was taken by this recent story about faster stroke care when patients come by ambulance:

(Reuters Health) - Patients with stroke-like symptoms get brain scans faster when they arrive at the hospital by ambulance than when they use a taxi or private car, a new study suggests.

Such scans are necessary to make a diagnosis, and doing them quickly ensures early care and better outcomes. ...

"EMS (emergency medical services) impact doesn't just stop at pre-hospital care, it can have an impact in the hospital as well," said Mehul Patel, from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, whose findings appear in the journal Stroke.

A valuable lesson you can take advantage of if you or a loved one is having stroke symptoms, when time suddenly becomes extremely important: Call 911 and get an ambulance.