Symptoms at stroke onset as described by patients: a qualitative study

• Background: Stroke is a common and severe disease that requires prompt care. Symptom expressions as one-sidedweakness and speech difficulties are common and included in public stroke campaigns. For some patients stroke canpresent with subtle and less common symptoms, difficult to interpret. The symptom severity assessed by the NationalInstitutes of Health Stroke Scale has decreased, and symptoms at onset may have changed. Therefore, we aimed toinvestigate how patients describe their symptoms at the onset of a first-time stroke.Methods:The study used a qualitative descriptive design and conventional content analysis. Data were collectedthrough recorded interviews with 27 patients aged 18 years and older hospitalised with a first-time stroke betweenOctober 2018 and April 2020. Data were analysed on a manifest level.Results: Symptoms at stroke onset were presented in two themes: Altered Reality and Discomfort and Changed BodyFunctions and described in five categories. Various types of symptoms were found. All symptoms were perceivedas sudden, persistent, and never experienced before and this appear as a “red thread” in the result. Regardless ofsymptom expressions, no specific symptom was described as more severe than another.Conclusions: Stroke symptoms were described with a variety of expressions. Many described complex symptomsnot typical of stroke, which can make it difficult to recognise the symptoms as a stroke and delay medical care. Publicstroke campaigns should emphasize the importance of seeking medical care at the slightest suspicion of stroke andcould be designed to help achieve this.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Omvårdnad (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Nursing (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Neurologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Neurology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Patients

Stroke

Symptoms

Interviews

Content analysis

Vårdvetenskap

Nursing science

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)