Stroke treatment Flashcards
What main factor of a stroke determines what kind of treatment will be administered
Whether the stroke is Ischemic or haemorrhagic
What treatment options are available if patient is having an ischaemic stroke
Thrombolysis
Emergency endovascular procedures
Aspirin
What treatment options are available if patient is having an haemorrhagic stroke
Surgery
What is thrombolysis
The use of drugs to break up the clot
What drug is commonly used in thrombolysis
Alteplase
What method does alteplase need to enter the body by
Intravenously
In what time frame does alteplase need to be administered
<4.5 hours after symptoms begun
Why is it important that alteplase has a strict time frame for administration
If it takes too long then the risks out weight the benefits
What age do patients need to be under in order to get alteplase?
<80 years old
What are emergency endovascular procedures
Medications that are delivered directly to the brain
Removing a large clot with a stent retriever
What procedure massively increases survival in patients <60 years old with cerebral oedema
Hemicraniotomy in <48 hours
In a large vessel stroke, what combination of procedures increases chance of survival the most
IVT and thrombectomy
Why is secondary prevention important
Stroke patients are more at risk at having another stroke than patients that haven’t had a stroke
What percentage of people that have a TIA will have a stroke in the future
33%
What should happen to a patient if the have a TIA
Taken to hospital for CT/MRI and treated as an emergency.
What treatments are available in secondary prevention
Pharmacological
Surgical
Life changes
What pharmacological treatments are available in the secondary prevention treatment
Aspirin 300mg for two weeks
Clopidogrel 75mg daily
Statins for all patients
Blood pressure drugs to alleviate BP to a normal range
What surgical interventions are available in secondary prevention
Carotid endarectomy
What is a Carotid endarectomy
Cutting out plaque from a stenosed carotid artery
What life advice should be given in secondary prevention
Smoking cessation
Diabetic control
Control of hypertension
Who should be offered the option of carotid surgery
All symptomatic patients with a >70% stenosis (but not completely occluded)
