In times of stroke, BEFAST; yet 61% people don’t know about this, says survey

BEFAST is an acronym developed to recognise the signs of a stroke. This means BEFAST should be part of a population’s regular vocabulary—like SBI, BJP, CBI, IPL etc. But 61 per cent of people do not know what BEFAST is, a survey reported.

BEFAST stands for Balance (loss), Eyesight (blurring or loss), Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties, and Time (for emergency services call).

There is also a widespread lack of awareness regarding stroke in the general, the survey said. The male-to-female ratio was 3:1, and around 200 participants were part of this survey.

Dr Pavan Pai, consultant interventional neurologist and stroke specialist at Wockhardt Hospitals, Mira Road, said, “The survey revealed that though 64.4 per cent of people are aware of the treatment of stroke during the window period (4.5 hours of the first stroke), around 61 per cent of people don’t know the warning signs of stroke that is the concept of BEFAST. Those with these red flags should be taken to a stroke-ready hospital where expert stroke care is available 24X7.”

“The survey also revealed that 65.4 per cent of people know that stroke can be reversed if the patient is taken to a hospital that has facilities to manage it,” the doctor explained.

People have started knowing the importance of their health and 95.2 per cent feel that full health check-ups should be done once a year. Moreover, around 82.7 per cent of people get their annual health check-ups done every year.

“We launched a support group to help stroke patients to improve their outcomes, and a committed team of doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff to provide support round-the-clock care and ensure a faster recovery. Meticulous patient monitoring will be done with advanced equipment and a multidisciplinary team treatment approach,” said Dr Pai.

Treatment within the golden hour of stroke can save lives. Hence, to address the needs of stroke patients and help people recognise the signs of a stroke, Wockhardt Hospital in Mira Road suburbs of Mumbai, took the initiative to educate people about stroke.