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Monday, 03 August 2009 12:17 |
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Treatment is best carried out in a specialised stroke unit of a major hospital.
If it’s a thrombotic or ischaemic stroke, doctors will give intravenous drugs that help dissolve the clot or prevent further clotting. These drugs work best in the first few hours after the stroke. That's why it's important to get to hospital quickly.
If it’s a haemorrhagic stroke, doctors can't give these drugs because they will make the stroke worse. Instead, intravenous antihypertensives may be given to reduce the blood pressure and slow the progress of the bleed into the brain.
Surgery may be performed in some cases of haemorrhagic stroke. This may mean surgical removal of blood or blood clots from the brain cavity, or the repair of a bleeding artery. While all this is happening, the hospital and medical staff will be working to stabilise the person to give the brain the best chance to recover.
This may mean giving fluid through intravenous drips, giving food via a nasogastric tube, and catheter passed into the bladder to pass urine. Good-quality nursing care is needed to prevent stiff joints and bedsores.
Once the person has improved, further surgery may be possible. If the stroke is caused by a plaque in the carotid arteries in the neck, the plaque may be surgically removed once the person's condition has improved. This is called a Carotid Endarterectomy.
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Stroke Management
