Stroke Strategy

Call an ambulance if you think you are having a stroke—even if you live close to a hospital.

Recent finding: Stroke victims who were transported by ambulance to the emergency room were seen and evaluated by a physician within 30 minutes, compared with 34 minutes for patients who drove themselves or were brought by friends or loved ones and 55 minutes for those who arrived by other means. With stroke, even four minutes can make a huge difference in outcome.