Abstract
Introduction: Early recognition of stroke symptoms is crucial to reducing its clinical impact. In English-speaking countries, acronyms such as “FAST” and “BE-FAST” have proven to be effective tools for public education. However, the absence of equivalent terms in Spanish motivated the creation of versions adapted to the cultural and linguistic context. Within this framework, Colombia developed “CORRE” (the Spanish word for “Run”) and its extended version “CORRE+,” inspired by these international tools, to enhance the recognition and response to stroke symptoms among Spanish-speaking populations
Objective: To describe Colombia’s experience with the “CORRE” mnemonic, used to identify acute stroke symptoms, and also to introduce the modified acrostic “CORRE+”, developed to improve its sensitivity.
Methods: Two stroke symptoms acrostics were created, based on the “FAST” and “BE-FAST” tools, but adapted into Spanish for use among the Colombian and Latin American populations.
Results: “CORRE” and “CORRE+” stand for “Cara torcida (uneven face), Ojo/alteraciones visuales (eyes/visual alterations), Rápida debilidad (sudden weakness or numbness), Raro al hablar (sudden slurred speech), Equilibrio alterado (sudden loss of balance), Emergencias llamar (call Emergency Services)”. These tools have been shown to be effective in educating the Colombian citizens about stroke symptoms.
Conclusion: “CORRE” and “CORRE+” are innovative initiatives that aim to educate Hispanic people in order to recognize stroke symptoms and consult the emergency services as soon as possible to impact stroke’s burden.
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