Knowledge of stroke and the window period for thrombolytic therapy in ischemic stroke among South Indians: A hospital-based survey with educational intervention

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the awareness of stroke in regards to the risk factors, warning symptoms, and knowledge of the therapeutic window period among varied strata of non-medical people attending a tertiary care center. Materials and Methods: The interventional study involved the collection of data regarding awareness of stroke using a structured questionnaire with a total score of 16. Pre-intervention assessment was followed by intervention in the form of education regarding awareness of stroke administered one-on-one for personalized and effective comprehension by subjects. Then, subjects were asked to recall the information that was delivered to them and were scored accordingly. Results: Among the 500 subjects included, 51% were female. About 76.8% of participants were young (age <50 years), and 83.4% were literate. Only 25.4% of participants were aware of the brain as the site of stroke. About 32.2% of candidates were aware of a few risk factors for stroke. Among them, the majority of participants were aware of hypertension (24%) as a risk factor. The most known warning symptom was "Numbness" or weakness of arm. The majority of the subjects (97.8%) were unaware of a therapeutic window period for stroke being 4.5 h or below. The mean pre-intervention score was 2.52 +/- 1.65 while the mean post-intervention score was 15.10 +/- 1.79 (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: The study showed that even among literate participants, only a meager number of subjects were aware of the golden window period of intravenous thrombolysis. Educational intervention by means of an in-person and one-on-one explanation achieved significant levels of understanding of stroke. The study could be used to formulate large-scale educational programs that focus on spreading awareness of symptoms and risk factors while also instilling the importance of timely medical intervention for efficient thrombolytic therapy.