(May 22, 2009 - Insidermedicine) More than half of stroke victims were misidentified by telephone emergency services in the UK, causing delays in medical care, according to research published in the Emergency Medicine Journal.

Here is some information about strokes:

•    The most common type of stroke occurs when a blood clot obstructs blood flow to the brain.

•    Stroke victims who receive clot busting drugs within a short time of the onset of symptoms are more likely to survive.

•    Stroke is a leading cause of death worldwide.

Researchers assessed the ability of Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch Software to determine which of the emergency calls received over 6 months were for stroke victims. This was compared against diagnoses given to patients when they arrived at a hospital emergency department.

Among 126 strokes that occurred, only 60 were correctly identified, and fewer than one-quarter were assigned the most rapid ambulance response. The system also coded another 62 patients as having had a stroke when they actually had another problem.

Today’s research demonstrates how telephone triage programs need improvement so that stroke victims can receive emergency care sooner.

For Insidermedicine in Depth, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.