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Make Stroke Awareness Month every month in your community

Time is of the essence in stroke, so raising awareness of stroke signs and symptoms is critical. Explore helpful tips from leading stroke centers that may be used in any healthcare setting, including:

Stroke education in the community

Examples of community-generated initiatives for educating the public about stroke outreach programs include1:

  • Facilitating a mobile blood pressure screening and stroke education van
  • Organizing a stroke survivor story presentation and luncheon
  • Creating outlets for stroke education in the local community, including churches and beauty shops2
  • Teaching F.A.S.T. in retirement homes, churches, and community centers
  • Hosting a stroke screening and lecture event with a local stroke team director or consulting neurologist
  • Producing a stroke warning signs commercial to be presented before movie previews at local theaters
  • Distributing F.A.S.T. wallet cards at movie theaters with admission tickets
  • Creating Facebook postings and YouTube programs for stroke awareness education
  • Partnering with local news organizations to print and include American Stroke Association and F.A.S.T. materials for wide distribution
  • Submitting a stroke awareness article to be included in community, business, or organization newsletters
  • Using culturally and age-appropriate educational tools to teach elementary schoolchildren about the warning signs of stroke (eg, Brainiac Kids Community Education)3
  • Setting up a stroke awareness art or video contest at a local school
  • Launching a drive to distribute stroke education materials to community centers, libraries, and grocery stores
  • Partnering with local businesses to promote stroke awareness in the workplace


Share your stroke awareness initiatives.

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Indication
Activase (Alteplase) is indicated for the management of acute ischemic stroke in adults for improving neurological recovery and reducing the incidence of disability. Treatment should only be initiated within 3 hours after the onset of stroke symptoms, and after exclusion of intracranial hemorrhage by a cranial computerized tomography (CT) scan or other diagnostic imaging method sensitive for the presence of hemorrhage (see CONTRAINDICATIONS).

Safety Information
Activase therapy in patients with AIS is contraindicated in certain situations (eg, suspicion of subarachnoid hemorrhage on pretreatment evaluation, recent (within 3 months) intracranial or intraspinal surgery, history of intracranial hemorrhage, uncontrolled hypertension at time of treatment, active internal bleeding, known bleeding diathesis (eg, current use of oral anticoagulants, administration of heparin within 48 hours of onset of stroke, platelet count <100,000) (see CONTRAINDICATIONS for full list).

The most common complication during Activase therapy is bleeding. Should serious bleeding in a critical location (intracranial, gastrointestinal, retroperitoneal, pericardial) occur, Activase therapy should be discontinued immediately. Death and permanent disability are not uncommonly reported in patients who have experienced stroke (including intracranial bleeding) and other serious bleeding episodes.

The risks of Activase therapy may be increased and should be weighed against the anticipated benefits in certain conditions. [See WARNINGS in full prescribing information].

  • Patients with severe neurological deficit (eg, NIHSS >22) at presentation. There is an increased risk of intracranial hemorrhage in these patients.
  • Patients with major early infarct signs on a computerized cranial tomography (CT) scan (eg, substantial edema, mass effect, or midline shift).

Treatment of patients with minor neurological deficit or with rapidly improving symptoms is not recommended.

Orolingual angioedema has been observed in postmarketing experience in patients treated with Activase for AIS. Patients should be monitored during and for several hours after infusion for signs of orolingual angioedema.

Please click here for full prescribing information.
References:
1.
Data on file. Genentech, Inc.
2.
Kleindorfer D, Miller R, Sailor-Smith S, Moomaw CJ, Khoury J, Frankel M. The challenges of community-based research: the Beauty Shop Stroke Education Project. Stroke. 2008;39(8):2331-2335.
3.
National Stroke Association. Brainiac Kids Community Education. National Stroke Association Web site. http://www.stroke.org/site/PageNavigator/BrainiacKids. Accessed January 29, 2010.