5. Stroke

• Stroke is an abrupt interruption of constant blood flow to the brain that causes loss of neurologic function.
• The interruption of blood flow can be caused by a blockage, leading to the more ischemic stroke.
• It is critical that victims receive emergency medical treatment as soon as possible for the best possible outcome to be realized.
• Strokes occur suddenly, sometimes with little or no warning and the results can be devastating.
• Regardless of what type of stroke has been suffered, recovery and rehabilitation are important aspects of stroke treatment.
• In some cases, undamaged areas of the brain may be able to perform functions that were lost when the stroke occurred.
• Endovascular treatment involves inserting a long, thin, flexible tube (catheter) into a major artery, usually in the thigh, guiding it to the aneurysm or the defective blood vessel and inserting tiny platinum coils (called stents) into the blood vessel through the catheter.
• Stents support the blood vessel to prevent further damage and additional strokes.
• Subarachnoid hemorrhage occurs when the bleeding fills the cerebrospinal fluid spaces around the brain.
• Rehabilitation includes physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy.
• The Merci Retriever, a straight wire inside the small catheter pokes out beyond the clot and automatically coils into a corkscrew shape.
• Intracerebral hemorrhage occurs when there is bleeding directly into the brain tissue, which often forms a clot within the brain.
• The Merci Retriever is a corkscrew-shaped device used to help remove blood clots from the arteries of stroke patients.
• Carotid endarterectomy can be carried out using either local anesthetic or general anaesthetic, allowing the surgeon to monitor the brain function while the patient is awake.
• Recovery and rehabilitation are important aspects of stroke treatment.
• WARNING SIGNS of Stroke include:

  • Dizziness, nausea, or vomiting
  • Unusually severe headache
  • Confusion, disorientation or memory loss
  • Numbness, weakness in an arm, leg or face, especially on one side
  • Abnormal or slurred speech
  • Difficulty in comprehension
  • Loss of vision or difficulty seeing
  • Loss of balance, coordination or the ability to walk
• ISCHEMIC STROKE is the most common type of stroke, accounting for a large majority of strokes.
• Two types of ischemic stroke: thrombotic stroke and embolic stroke.
• thrombotic stroke occurs when a blood clot, called a thrombus, blocks an artery to the brain and stops blood flow.
• embolic stroke occurs when a piece of plaque or thrombus travels from its original site and blocks the artery downstream. The material that has moved is called embolus.
• The ischemic penumbra consists of cells that are impaired and cannot function, but are still alive. These cells are called idling cells, and they can survive in this state for about three hours.
• ISCHEMIC STROKE treatment's goal is to remove the obstruction and restore blood flow to the brain.
• Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA) must be administered within 3- hour window from the onset of symptoms to work best.
• Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA) carries a risk for increased intracranial hemorrhage and is not used for hemorrhagic stroke.
• Carotid Endarterectomy is a surgical procedure that removes plaque from the carotid arteries.
• MERCI (Mechanical Embolus Removal in Cerebral Ischemia) Retriever is a corkscrew -shaped device used to help remove blood clots from the arteries of stroke patients
• HEMORRHAGIC STrOKe can be caused by hypertension, rupture of an aneurysm or vascular malformation or as a complication of anticoagulation medications.
• HEMORRHAGIC STOKE: an Intracerebral hemorrhage occurs when there is bleeding directly into the brain tissue, which often forms a clot within the brain.
• HEMORRHAGIC STOKE: a subarachnoid hemorrhage occurs when the bleeding fills the cerebrospinal fluid paces around the brain
• Hemorrhagic Stroke: Endovascular Treatment's Goal: Surgery may be performed to seal off the defective blood vessel and redirect blood flow to other vessels that supply blood to the same region of the brain.
• ENDOVASCULAR TREATMENT: involves inserting a long, thin, flexible tube (catheter) into a major artery, usually in the thigh, guiding it to the aneurysm or the defective blood vessel and inserting tiny platinum coils (called stents) into the blood vessel through the catheter.
• Stroke Rehabilitation includes physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy.
• Occupational Therapy focuses on helping patients develop new ways to do things they did before the stroke so they can live independently.
• Speech Therapy helps patients regain communication skills and improve swallowing ability.
• Physical Therapy helps patients relearn how to walk, use their arms and legs, and perform daily activities such as dressing and bathing.