On January 10, a team specializing in neurology from the stroke unit of the Guadeloupe University Hospital met with health professionals from Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy to strengthen the management of cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs).
Stroke, often sudden, is divided into two types: ischemic (obstruction of a blood vessel) or hemorrhagic (rupture of a vessel).
In 2021, 62 cases were recorded, or 0,4% of admissions to the CHLCF, with an average patient age of 64,6 years, younger than in Guadeloupe (73 years) and mainland France (75 years).
These accidents, often linked to untreated risk factors (84% of cases), require rapid intervention.
However, 38% of patients go to the hospital on their own, delaying their care. Rapid brain imaging, such as a CT scan (48% of cases in 2021) or MRI (51%), is crucial to establish the diagnosis and determine the appropriate treatment. 13,6% of patients received thrombolysis.
49% of patients have no after-effects, 15% have serious after-effects and 9% die, which represents 4,6% of deaths occurring in Saint-Martin.
Stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death in the country (15%). Professionals have identified areas for improvement: better multilingual awareness, enhanced education for at-risk patients, and treatment optimization.
Experts have stressed the importance of calling 15 at the first signs of a stroke (paralysis, speech problems, muscle weakness) to quickly activate the emergency response network. _VX
https://faxinfo.fr/en/sante-une-journee-dediee-a-la-lutte-contre-les-avc-a-saint-martin/
