First stroke ambulance car in Berlin

First stroke emergency ambulance in Berlin put into operation

20/02/2011

The state of Berlin has commissioned the first ambulance especially for strokes. The emergency vehicle contains special equipment to provide patients with optimal first aid in the event of a stroke.

The renowned University Hospital Charité reports that the first stroke emergency ambulance was put into operation in Berlin. The ambulance was designed together with the hospital, the fire department and various Brandenburg companies. According to the clinic, the new car should provide the patients with optimal first aid.

Stroke: Every minute counts
If a patient suffers a stroke, every minute is valuable for first aid. In a stroke, there is a sudden lack of oxygen in the nerve cells. Patients usually suffer from symptoms such as blurred vision, dizziness, visual field loss, severe headache and paralysis. Without a delay, the fire brigade 112 should be called immediately in case of suspicion. As a first aid special drugs are administered to dissolve an existing blood clot (thrombolysis, within 3-4 hours). The faster the medical help, the better the brain can be protected from further damage. More than 200,000 people in Germany suffer a stroke each year. Every year, around 60,000 people die as a result of a stroke.

The 900,000 euro new ambulance includes technical equipment such as a computer tomograph (CT) and a small blood analysis laboratory. Also on board is a specialist in neurology, so that stroke patients receive a quick medical help. The new emergency vehicle is intended to minimize permanent damage to those affected and to eliminate suspicion quickly. (Sb)

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Picture: Arno Bachert