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Stroke - Treatment

Description

An in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of stroke.

Alternative Names

Transient ischemic attack; TIA

Treatment:

Until recently, the treatment of stroke was restricted to basic life support at the time of the stroke and rehabilitation later. Now, however, treatments can be beneficial when administered as soon as possible after the onset of the stroke. It is critical to get to the hospital and be diagnosed as soon as possible. There are several steps in the initial assessment and management of a person with a stroke.

Receiving treatment early is essential in reducing the damage from a stroke. The chances for survival and recovery are also best if treatment is received at a hospital specifically certified as a primary stroke center.

Treatment of Ischemic Stroke

Immediate treatment of ischemic stroke aims at dissolving the blood clot. Patients who arrive at the emergency room with signs of acute ischemic stroke are usually given aspirin to help thin the blood. Aspirin can be lethal for patients suffering a hemorrhagic stroke, so it is best not to take aspirin at home and to wait until after the doctor has determined what kind of stroke has occurred.

If the patient arrives at the hospital within 3 hours of stroke onset (when symptoms first appear), they may be a candidate for thrombolytic (“clot-buster”) drug therapy. Thrombolytic drugs are used break up existing blood clots. The standard thrombolytic drugs are tissue plasminogen activators (t-PAs). They include alteplase (Activase) and reteplase (Retavase).

The following steps are critical before injecting a clot-buster drug:

Before the thrombolytic is given, a CT scan must first confirm that the stroke is not hemorrhagic. If the stroke is ischemic, a CT scan can also suggest if injuries are very extensive, which might affect the use of thrombolytics.
Thrombolytics must be administered within 3 hours of a stroke to have any effect. Best results are achieved if patients are treated with 90 minutes of a stroke.

Thrombolytics carry a risk for hemorrhage, so they may not be appropriate for patients with existing risk factors for bleeding.

Treatment of Hemorrhagic Stroke

Treatment of hemorrhagic stroke depends in part on whether the stroke is caused by bleeding between the brain and the skull (subarachnoid hemorrhage) or within the brain tissue (intracerebral hemorrhage). Both medications and surgery may be used.

Medications. Various types of drugs are given depending on the cause of the bleeding. If high blood pressure is the cause, antihypertensive medications are administered to lower blood pressure. If anticoagulant medications, such as warfarin (Coumadin) or heparin, are the cause, they are immediately discontinued and other drugs may be given to increase blood coagulation. Other drugs, such as the calcium channel blocker nimodipine (Nimotop) can help reduce the risk of ischemic stroke following hemorrhagic stroke.

Surgery. Surgery may be performed for aneurysms or arteriovenous malformations that are bleeding. The surgery may be done through what is called a craniotomy, which involves making an opening in the skull bone. Also, less invasive techniques can be done by threading a catheter. A catheter is guided through a small cut in the groin to an artery and then to the small blood vessels in the brain where the aneurysm is located. Thin metal wires are put into the aneurysm. They then coil up into a mesh ball. Blood clots that form around this coil prevent the aneurysm from breaking open and bleeding. If the aneurysm has ruptured, a clip may be placed on it to prevent further leaking of blood into the brain.

Managing Stroke Complications

In the days following stroke, patients are at risk for complications. The following steps are important:

Maintain Adequate Delivery of Oxygen. It is very important to maintain oxygen levels. In some cases, airway ventilation may be required. Supplemental oxygen may also be necessary for patients when tests suggest low blood levels of oxygen.

Manage Fever. Fever should be monitored and aggressively treated with medication, since its presence predicts a poorer outlook.

Evaluate Swallowing. Patients should have their swallowing function evaluated before they are given any food, fluid, or medication by mouth. If patients cannot adequately swallow they are at risk of choking. Patients who cannot swallow on their own may require nutrition and fluids delivered intravenously or through a tube placed in the nose.

Maintain Electrolytes. Maintaining a healthy electrolyte balance (the ratio of sodium, calcium, and potassium in the body's fluids) is critical.

Control Blood Pressure. Managing blood pressure is essential and complicated. Blood pressure often declines spontaneously in the first 24 hours after stroke. Patients whose blood pressure remains elevated should be treated with antihypertensive medications.

Monitor Increased Brain Pressure. Hospital staff should watch carefully for evidence of increased pressure on the brain (cerebral edema), which is a frequent complication of hemorrhagic strokes. It can also occur a few days after ischemic strokes. Early symptoms of increased brain pressure are drowsiness, confusion, lethargy, weakness, and headache. Medications such as mannitol may be given during a stroke to reduce pressure or the risk for it.

Keeping the top of the body higher than the lower part, such as by elevating the head of the bed, can reduce pressure in the brain and is standard practice for patients with ischemic stroke. However, this practice also lowers blood pressure in general, which may be dangerous for patients with massive stroke.

Monitor the Heart. Patients must be monitored using electrocardiographic tracings to check for atrial fibrillation and other heart rhythm problems. Patients are at high risk for heart attack following stroke.

Control Blood Sugar (Glucose) Levels. Elevated blood sugar (glucose) levels can occur with severe stroke and may be a marker of serious trouble. Patients with high blood glucose levels may require insulin therapy.

Monitor Blood Coagulation. Regular tests for blood coagulation are important to make sure that the blood is not so thick that it will clot nor so thin that it causes bleeding.

Check for Deep Venous Thrombosis. Deep venous thrombosis is a blood clot in the veins of the lower leg or thigh. It can be a serious post-stroke complication because there is a risk of the clot breaking off and traveling to the brain or heart. Deep venous thrombosis can also cause pulmonary embolism if the blood clot travels to the lungs. If necessary, an anticoagulant drug such as heparin may be given, but this increases the risk of hemorrhage. Patients who have had a stroke are also at risk for pulmonary embolisms

Prevent Infection. Patients who have had a stroke are at increased risk for pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and other widespread infections.

Resources

www.strokeassociation.org -- American Stroke Association
www.americanheart.org -- American Heart Association
www.stroke.org -- National Stroke Association
www.ninds.nih.gov -- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
www.aphasia.org -- National Aphasia Association
www.aan.com -- American Academy of Neurology
www.strokecenter.org/trials -- Stroke Trials Directory

References

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Reviewed last on: 5/21/2009
Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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