20/03/2026
🚑 Nearly 1 in 5 strokes are initially missed – why does it happen?
A new study from Aarhus University Hospital highlights important gaps in prehospital stroke recognition and who is most at risk.
🔍 Key findings:
Nearly 20% of confirmed stroke patients were not identified as stroke in the prehospital phase
Missed strokes were more often seen in older patients, women, and individuals living alone
These patients frequently presented with non-classic symptoms, including impaired consciousness, visual disturbances, and aphasia
💡 Missed stroke status was associated with a more than threefold lower rate of reperfusion therapy, indicating a substantial disparity in treatment
⚠️ The findings highlight that stroke triage cannot rely on motor symptoms alone. Greater awareness of atypical presentations, and patient context, is essential.
📝 The work was led by Martin Faurholdt Gude and Rolf A. Blauenfeldt, with contributions from fellow RECEM researchers Line Bilgrav Nisgaard and Marianne Lisby, alongside collaborators from Aarhus University Hospital.
📖 Read the full article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41654812/