Stroke victims often don't receive appropriate treatment fast enough. Those patients treated with tissue plasminogen activator (tpA)-which dissolves stroke-causing clots-within three hours of the onset of symptoms are three times more likely to have a good outcome as those who are not given tPA. Yet only between 2% and 3% of stroke patients receive this treatment.
Reasons: Victims and bystanders may not call for help immediately because they do not recognize stroke symptoms. Hospital phone operators may not recognize stroke symptoms and so discourage callers from coming in for help.
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