It's really OK to call for help

During Stroke Awareness Month, a good reminder...

Many say they'd call 911 for stroke signs, but most don't:

In a survey of 253 predominantly African American community volunteers in Washington, DC, 89% said they would call 911 at the first sign of stroke symptoms. However, in structured interviews with 100 hospitalized stroke patients (or proxy respondents) in the same city, only 12% reported actually calling 911 immediately at symptom onset.

The disconnect was "striking" when comparing what healthy participants said they would do hypothetically and what most actually did when faced with stroke symptoms, first study author Amie W. Hsia, MD, director of the Washington Hospital Center Stroke Center in Washington, DC, noted in a statement.

"The failure to act promptly contributes to delayed presentation, reduced opportunity for acute therapy, and greater stroke morbidity," Dr. Hsia and colleagues note in their report. They say further research is needed to "determine and conquer the barriers between behavioral intent and actual behavior to call 911."

(Image from State of Montana 9-1-1 Home Page)