Stroke Awareness in Brazil Alarming Results in a Community-Based Study

Background and Purpose— Stroke is the leading cause of death in Brazil. This community-based study assessed lay knowledge about stroke recognition and treatment and risk factors for cerebrovascular diseases and activation of emergency medical services in Brazil. Methods— The study was conducted between July 2004 and December 2005. Subjects were selected from the urban population in transit about public places of 4 major Brazilian cities: Sao Paulo, Salvador, Fortaleza, and Ribeirao Preto. Trained medical students, residents, and neurologists interviewed subjects using a structured, open-ended questionnaire in Portuguese based on a case presentation of a typical patient with acute stroke at home. Results— Eight hundred fourteen subjects were interviewed during the study period (53.9% women; mean age, 39.2 years; age range, 18 to 80 years). There were 28 different Portuguese terms to name stroke. Twenty-two percent did not recognize any warning signs of stroke. Only 34.6% of subjects answered the correct ...