EMMANUEL MARWA BLOG

General • Patient may not be able to reliably report history due to cognitive or language deficits. A reliable history may have to come from a family member or another witness. Symptoms of Ischemic Stroke • The patient may complain of weakness on one side of the body, inability to speak, loss of vision, vertigo, headache, or falling. Signs of Ischemic Stroke • Patients usually have multiple signs of neurologic dysfunction, and specific deficits are determined by the area of the brain involved. • Hemiparesis or monoparesis occur commonly, as does a hemisensory deficit. • Patients with vertigo and double vision are likely to have posterior circulation involvement. • Aphasia is seen commonly in patients with anterior circulation strokes. • Patients may also suffer from dysarthria, visual field defects, and altered levels of consciousness. Signs and Symptoms of Hemorrhagic Stroke • A sudden severe headache, nausea, vomiting, and photophobia may be the first signs and symptoms. ...

Cerebrovascular disease, or stroke, is the second most common cause of death worldwide, and is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. Stroke can be either ischemic or hemorrhagic and is an acute medical emergency. Rapid treatment dependent on the type of stroke is critical. Treatment of risk factors and preventive measures are also paramount in the management of stroke. Decades of progress in treatment and prevention of stroke have resulted in a decrease in both stroke incidence and stroke case fatality rates.1  Stroke mortality rates are higher in women than men and geographic variability exists, with higher mortality rates observed in the Southeastern United States, termed the “stroke belt.