Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- List of abbreviations
- 1 Stroke in the emergency department
- 2 What to do first
- 3 Ischemic stroke
- 4 TPA protocol
- 5 Neurological deterioration in acute ischemic stroke
- 6 Ischemic stroke prevention: why we do the things we do
- 7 Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
- 8 Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)
- 9 Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)
- 10 Organization of stroke care
- 11 Rehabilitation
- Appendix 1 Numbers and calculations
- Appendix 2 IV TPA dosing chart
- Appendix 3 Sample admission orders
- Appendix 4 Sample discharge summary
- Appendix 5 Stroke radiology
- Appendix 6 Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD)
- Appendix 7 Heparin protocol
- Appendix 8 Insulin protocol
- Appendix 9 Medical complications
- Appendix 10 Brainstem syndromes
- Appendix 11 Cerebral arterial anatomy
- Appendix 12 Stroke in the young and less common stroke diagnoses
- Appendix 13 Brain death criteria
- Appendix 14 Neurological scales
- Recommended reading
- References
1 - Stroke in the emergency department
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 October 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- List of abbreviations
- 1 Stroke in the emergency department
- 2 What to do first
- 3 Ischemic stroke
- 4 TPA protocol
- 5 Neurological deterioration in acute ischemic stroke
- 6 Ischemic stroke prevention: why we do the things we do
- 7 Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
- 8 Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)
- 9 Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)
- 10 Organization of stroke care
- 11 Rehabilitation
- Appendix 1 Numbers and calculations
- Appendix 2 IV TPA dosing chart
- Appendix 3 Sample admission orders
- Appendix 4 Sample discharge summary
- Appendix 5 Stroke radiology
- Appendix 6 Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD)
- Appendix 7 Heparin protocol
- Appendix 8 Insulin protocol
- Appendix 9 Medical complications
- Appendix 10 Brainstem syndromes
- Appendix 11 Cerebral arterial anatomy
- Appendix 12 Stroke in the young and less common stroke diagnoses
- Appendix 13 Brain death criteria
- Appendix 14 Neurological scales
- Recommended reading
- References
Summary
Stroke is the most common neurological emergency, and, because effective treatment is available that must be started within minutes, most acute neurological presentations should be assumed to be a stroke until proven otherwise by history, exam, or radiographic testing. Unfortunately, there is not a quick and easy laboratory or clinical test to determine for sure that the patient lying in front of you is having a stroke, so an accurate history and exam are essential.
Is this a stroke?
DEFINITION
The term “stroke” usually refers either to a cerebral infarction or to non-traumatic cerebral hemorrhage. Depending on the population you are seeing (ethnicity, age, comorbidities) the ratio of infarcts to hemorrhages is about 4:1.
As will be described in more detail in Chapter 3, cerebral infarcts can be caused by a number of pathological processes, but all end with an occlusion of a cerebral artery or vein. If the arterial occlusion results in a reduction of blood flow insufficient to cause death of tissue (infarction), it is termed “ischemia.”
As will be described in more detail in Chapter 8, non-traumatic cerebral hemorrhages are caused by a number of pathological processes which all lead to bleeding into the brain parenchyma and ventricles. Bleeding into the subarachnoid space (Chapter 9) is usually caused by a ruptured aneurysm or vascular malformation. Other types of brain bleeding, for example into the subdural or epidural space, are usually traumatic and are not considered in this book.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Acute Stroke CareA Manual from the University of Texas - Houston Stroke Team, pp. 1 - 7Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2007