Stroke

Description

Cerebral vascular accident or stroke. Disease causes sudden blockage of blodflow to the part of a brain. Some attacks are linked to the bleeding of damaged area. Most of the attacks are caused by a blockage of arteries in the brain due to its thickening (atherosclerosis) or due to the blood clot that is comimg from other part of the bloodstream (thromb). Symptoms depend on the artery which is being blocked. Only urgent medical assistance is a guaranty that the patient will stay alive and the treatment will have favorable result.

Symptoms

Weakness in the arm, leg, part of a face or any other part of the body. Numbness, slurred speech, inability to speak, difficulty to read or write, difficult swallowing, loss of memory, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, altered personality, mood swings (apathy, depression), sleepiness, lethargy, loss of cousciousnee, uncontrollable eye moves, hallucinations, nausea, vomiting.

Overview

Anamnesis will be taken and physical examination will be done. Tests for identification and determination of causes for the stroke are being performed.

Tests

Complete blood count (CBC), biochemical blood analysis, CT scan, electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and X-rays.

Additional analyses

CT scan of the head and the neck, cariotid ultrasound, echocardiography, PT (prothrombin time), PTT (partial thromboplastin time).

Specialists

Neurology, Pediatrics, Vascular Surgery and Radiology

Therapy

A stroke is the emergency case. Therapy depends on the size of the cerebral vascular accident, its location in the brain, medicines the patient is taking, on how long the symptoms are present and on other related diseases. Treatment may include: medicines for blood pressure, medicines for blood clots (aspirin, clopidogrel/Plavix), anticoagulants (heparin, enoxaparin, warfarin),thrombolysis (tissue plasminogen activator/t-PA), intravascular thrombolysis, physical therapy, speech therapy and or professional therapy. Medicines for blood pressure and cholesterol are recommended for preventing thereappearance of the cerebral vascular accident.