Stroke

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	Brain	Brainstem function	Carotid stenosis, X-ray of the left artery
Carotid stenosis, X-ray of the right artery	Circle of Willis	Endarterectomy
Left cerebral hemisphere - function	Plaque buildup in arteries	Right cerebral hemisphere - function	Stroke

Cerebrovascular disease; CVA; Cerebral infarction; Cerebral hemorrhage; Ischemic stroke; Stroke - ischemic; Cerebrovascular accident; Stroke - hemorrhagic

A stroke is a medical emergency. Immediate treatment can save lives and reduce disability. Call 911 or your local emergency number or seek immediate medical care at the first signs of a stroke.

It is very important for people who are having stroke symptoms to get to a hospital as quickly as possible. If the stroke is caused by a blood clot, a clot-busting drug may be given to dissolve the clot.

Most of the time, patients must reach a hospital within 3 hours after symptoms begin. Some people may be able to receive these drugs for up to 4 - 5 hours after symptoms begin.

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Treatment depends on the severity and cause of the stroke. A hospital stay is required for most strokes.

TREATMENT IN THE HOSPITAL

Clot-busting drugs (thrombolytic therapy) may be used if the stroke is caused by a blood clot. Such medicine breaks up blood clots and helps restore blood flow to the damaged area. However, not everyone can receive this type of medicine.

• For these drugs to work, a person must be seen and treatment must begin within 3 hours of when the symptoms first started. A CT scan must be done to see whether the stroke is from a clot or from bleeding.
• If the stroke is caused by bleeding rather than clotting, clot-busting drugs (thrombolytics) can cause more bleeding.

Other treatments depend on the cause of the stroke:

• Blood thinners such as heparin or warfarin (Coumadin) may be used to treat strokes due to blood clots. Aspirin or clopidogrel (Plavix) may also be used.
• Other medications may be needed to control other symptoms, including high blood pressure. Painkillers may be given to control severe headache.
• In some situations, a special stroke team and skilled radiologists may be able to use angiography to highlight the clogged blood vessel and open it up.
• For hemorrhagic stroke, surgery is often required to remove blood from around the brain and to repair damaged blood vessels.
• Surgery on the carotid artery may be needed.