South West paramedics top recruiters to ground-breaking study hoping to revolutionise stroke care
Three paramedics from South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust have been praised for the number of patients they have recruited into a trial looking at whether a 39p skin patch could revolutionise stroke treatment, significantly increasing the chances of survival.
Paramedics Mary-Jean Tucker and James Wackford, based in Plymouth, and Christopher Abbott, based in Sherborne, have recruited 22 patients between them into the RIGHT-2 trial.
World Stroke Day takes place on Sunday October 29th and will focus on stroke prevention, raising awareness of stroke risks and demonstrating the steps we can all take as individuals, professionals or decision makers to prevent stroke.
The University of Nottingham’s RIGHT-2 trial, funded by the British Heart Foundation and supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), is testing a plaster-like patch which is applied to a patient’s shoulder or back whilst travelling to hospital via ambulance and administers the drug glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), which lowers blood pressure and opens up blood vessels. It is hoped the study will show the patch reduces the damage caused in the immediate minutes and hours following a stroke.
Paramedic Chris Abbott, who has been involved in the trial since last October, said: “Personally I got involved for two reasons; firstly I think it is important for all of us to be involved in trials like this that may help benefit patients in the future. Also I have a particular interest in stroke care after my wife had a stroke in 2005 so I have seen the long term effects of a stroke. Anything that has the ability to help improve outcomes has to be a good thing.”
Stroke is a blood clot or bleed in the brain which can leave lasting damage affecting mobility, cognition, sight or communication. It is a medical emergency which can cause permanent neurological damage, complications and sometimes death.
Seven ambulance trusts across the country are taking part in the study, with South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust paramedics having recruited 174 patients to date.
Dr Martin James, stroke speciality lead for the NIHR in the South West, said: “It’s been great to work with paramedics from South Western Ambulance Service on the RIGHT2 trial, which should help to answer an important question about whether lowering blood pressure in the first few hours after a stroke can reduce the disability that so often results.
“Hospitals in the South West already have a strong track record of research in stroke - and working with paramedics enables us to extend that research effort into the back of an ambulance on its way to hospital, because it’s very likely that the earlier any treatment can be started, the greater the benefit to the patient.”
The RIGHT-2 trial is open to patient recruitment throughout the 13 live hospitals within SWASFT’s operating area until 31st May 2018. The ambulance service currently has 254 paramedics throughout the Trust who are trained and have signed up to participate in the trial.
