Management of Stroke

Question 1

What conditions increase the rise of having a stroke?

Answer 1

High BP
high cholesterol
irregular heart beat (atrial fibrillation)
diabetes

Question 2

What are the symptoms of a stroke?

Answer 2

F A S T
Face - dropped to one side, not being able to smile or mouth dropped
Arms - not able to lift arms because of weakness or numbness in both arms
Speech - slurred or garbled speech or may not be able to talk at all despite being awake. May struggle to understand what you are saying to them.
Time - the sooner the person receives treatment the less damage is likely to happen.

Question 3

How to manage a person that is having a stroke?

Answer 3

Phone ambulance. Include details of time of onset, symptoms, current condition, and medications (especially anticoagulants).

Question 4

How to know what treatment to use?

Answer 4

Depends on what has caused the stroke. A blot clot in brain (ischaemic) or bleeding in or around brain (haemorrhagic). Treatment usually involves taking one or more different medications.

Question 5

What are the treatments for a stroke?

Answer 5

Aspirin and other antiplatelets
Anticoagulants
BP meds
statins
carotid endarterectomy
surgery (craniotomy)

Question 6

What do aspirin and other antiplatelets do?

Answer 6

reduces chance of another blood clot forming.
antiplatelets that may be used later such as clopidogrel and dipyridamole

Question 7

What do anticoagulants do?

Answer 7

reduce development of new blood clots in the future
types are: warfarin, apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban and rivaroxaban.

Question 8

What BP meds to use?

Answer 8

commonly used are: thiazide diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers, alpha blockers

Question 9

What do statins do?

Answer 9

reduce the level of cholesterol in the body by blocking a chemical enzyme in the liver that produces cholesterol.

Question 10

What is carotid endarterectomy?

Answer 10

type of surgery used to unblock the carotid artery (an artery in the neck that carries blood to the brain).

Question 11

What is craniotomy?

Answer 11

removes blood from the brain and repair any blood vessels. during the surgery a piece of the skull is removed, the damaged blood vessel is repaired and the piece of bone is replaces by a metal artificial plate.