Stroke a True Neurological Emergency By Dr Gautam Arora Neurologist at NPMC

DELHI, NJ, UNITED STATES, April 12, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Stroke causes a vast amount of death and disability throughout the world, yet for many healthcare professionals it remains an area of therapeutic nihilism, and thus uninteresting. This negative perception is shared by the general public, who often have a poor understanding of the early symptoms and significance of a stroke. The symptoms of a stroke include sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble with walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination; or sudden severe headache with no known cause. Strokes can be classified into 2 main categories: Ischemic strokes. These are strokes caused by blockage of an artery (or, in rare instances, a vein). About 87% of all strokes are ischemic. Hemorrhagic stroke. These are strokes caused by bleeding. About 13% of all strokes are hemorrhagic.

How are strokes diagnosed?
To make a diagnosis, your health care provider will:Run some tests, which may include diagnostic imaging of the brain, such as a CT scan or MRI
Heart tests, which can help detect heart problems or blood clots that may have led to a stroke. Possible tests include an electrocardiogram (EKG) and an echocardiography.
Prevention
Knowing your stroke risk factors, following your health care provider’s recommendations and adopting a healthy lifestyle are the best steps you can take to prevent a stroke.
Controlling high blood pressure (hypertension)
Lowering the amount of cholesterol and saturated fat in your diet.
Quitting tobacco use.
Managing diabetes.
Maintaining a healthy weight.
Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
Drinking alcohol in moderation, if at all.
Treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Avoiding illegal drugs.

Preventive medications
If you’ve had an ischemic stroke or a TIA, your doctor may recommend medications to help reduce your risk of having another stroke. These include:
Anti-platelet drugs. Platelets are cells in the blood that form clots. The most commonly used anti-platelet medication is aspirin. Your doctor can help you determine the right dose of aspirin for you. After a TIA or minor stroke, your doctor may give you aspirin and an anti-platelet drug such as clopidogrel for a period of time to reduce the risk of another stroke.

Anticoagulants. These drugs reduce blood clotting. Heparin is fast acting and may be used short-term in the hospital.Slower-acting warfarin may be used over a longer term. Warfarin is a powerful blood-thinning drug, so you’ll need to take it exactly as directed and watch for side effects. Several newer blood-thinning medications (anticoagulants) are available for preventing strokes in people who have a high risk. These medications include dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban and edoxaban.

This “brain saving” treatment dissolves the clot that is causing the stroke. This medication can only be given through an IV given within 4.5 hours after a stroke begins. The sooner the medicine is given, the better the chances of restoring oxygen to the dying brain in time to prevent more damage.

Stroke patients who are taken to the hospital in an ambulance may get diagnosed and treated more quickly than people who do not arrive in an ambulance.1 This is because emergency treatment starts on the way to the hospital. The emergency workers may take you to a specialized stroke center to ensure that you receive the quickest possible diagnosis and treatment. The emergency workers will also collect valuable information that guides treatment and alert hospital medical staff before you arrive at the emergency room, giving them time to prepare.

The patient needs to be brought immediately to the hospital. If thrombolysis is done at the appropriate time, (within 3 hours of stroke) the severity of the stroke can be reduced which makes a significant difference to the outcome.

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Reviewed in Barreto AD. Intravenous thrombolytics for ischemic stroke. Neurotherapeutics. 2011 Jul;8(3):388-99. PMID: 21638138 (NIH and private support, including NINDS grants NB06833 and NB03564)
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Gautam Arora
NPMC Neurology and Pain Management Clinic
+91 8810340685
email us here

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