Lviv resident Vitalii, who suddenly developed stroke symptoms, was admitted to the stroke unit of the Clinic of Neurology and Neurosurgery at the Danylo Halytskyi LNMU University Hospital during the so-called “golden hour”. Thanks to the prompt call to the ambulance service, he was brought to the medical facility within the 4.5-hour therapeutic window, when doctors can still restore blood supply to the brain and reduce the risk of disability or death. The case was reported by the University Hospital.
The man had had high blood pressure for a long time and had not paid proper attention to it. On the day of the incident, he suddenly felt extremely tired and weak, was unable to utter a single word, and his right arm and leg stopped moving. His body, as he describes it, “turned to stone”. His wife was nearby and immediately called the emergency medical team.
In hospital, the patient underwent the necessary examinations, including a non-contrast CT scan and CT angiography, his blood pressure was stabilised, and a multidisciplinary team of specialists was brought in. According to neurologist and head of the stroke unit at the University Hospital, Maryana Averchuk, Vitalii arrived within the first hour after the onset of symptoms and received thrombolytic therapy.
The patient was admitted to us within the first hour. He received thrombolytic therapy, and within just four hours his condition had noticeably improved. The next day Vitalii was able to sit up on his own, says Maryana Averchuk.
The man’s condition is now much better: he can already move his leg and smile, although there is still slight weakness in his right arm. In the near future he will be transferred to the rehabilitation department of the University Hospital, where a team of rehabilitation specialists will work on fully restoring his mobility. The medical facility emphasises that it was the well-coordinated work of the doctors and the timely call for help that made it possible to quickly return the patient to his usual life.
Neurologists at the University Hospital remind people that untreated arterial hypertension, vascular atherosclerosis, heart disease, diabetes, blood clotting disorders, smoking, alcohol consumption, a sedentary lifestyle, stress and excess weight significantly increase the risk of stroke, including at a young age.
Doctors advise paying close attention to the first signs of stroke, which can conveniently be remembered by the Ukrainian acronym “MOZOK” (BRAIN):
- M — movlennia (speech): difficulty speaking, slurred speech, not understanding words;
- O — oblychchia (face): one side drooping, a crooked smile;
- Z — zapamorochennia (dizziness): sudden loss of balance;
- O — ochi (eyes): double or blurred vision;
- K — kintsivky (limbs): numbness or weakness in an arm or leg, most often on one side.
If such symptoms appear, doctors urge people to seek medical help immediately, as the speed of response determines the patient’s future health and quality of life.