The Minister of Health, Fátima Matute, announced these figures during the visit she made today to the SUMMA112 headquarters on the occasion of the celebration of World Day for “this cerebrovascular disease that requires an immediate response in the first hours and the specialization of care, which is the key to limiting the scope and severity of the consequences.”
Also called acquired brain damage, according to Matute, “a priority work objective for the Community of Madrid. The proof of this is the constant progress we make with Stroke Code. The latter is a plan based on early detection of symptoms, urgent care from SUMMA112, and urgent transfer to one of the 13 public hospitals in the region, which, after the participation of Torrejón, has accredited and operational units. 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
The counselor explained that the number of neurointerventional on-call centers to help those affected by this type of pathology will increase from the current three to four, with the addition, starting next January, of the Getafe Public University Hospital.
For many years, the Madrid Health Service has promoted the coordinated work of the network to respond more quickly to these situations. In this sense, once a case is noticed by doctors and members of the nursing staff of the SUMMA Coordinating Center, a call is made to 112, one of the 46 Advanced Life Support Units (30 Mobile ICUs and 16 Rapid Intervention Vehicles) in its fleet.
Upon arriving at the place where the patient is, the corresponding clinical evaluation, its stabilization, and the coordination mechanism for the activation of the Stroke Code Next, the ideal hospital is chosen for the patient’s pathology and clinical condition, and it is alerted to prepare the reception of the affected person, shortening the hours as much as possible to ensure that he recovers with the least possible consequences.
Primary Care Follow-up
Health centers play an important role in prevention before and after this harm occurs. Between January and June 2023, the first level of care added 114,549 users of this disease, compared to 112,599 in the same period last year, which was monitored.
Primary Care has in its portfolio the cardiovascular risk analysis service, which focuses on the action of the risk factors because the change of lifestyle habits (stopping tobacco consumption, physical activity, and having a healthy diet) can prevent the appearance of serious diseases and their complications, thus improving the quality and life expectancy of people.
A stroke affects the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain. This can happen due to a significant reduction in blood flow received by a part of this organ or due to bleeding caused by a rupture of a cerebral vessel. It is the second-leading cause of death in our country and the first among women.
In addition, it is the leading cause of disability in adults and the second for dementia. However, early recognition of symptoms and early use of appropriate treatment are important to improve the outcome for those affected.
