STROKE is an Emergency!
EVERY MINUTE COUNTS!
ACT F.A.S.T.
Face
Arm
Speech
Time
Facial droop
Uneven smile
Arm numbness
Arm weakness
Slurred speech
Difficulty speaking or understanding
Call 911
and get to the hospital immediately!
Have the ambulance go to the nearest certified stroke center
• Remember: If you have any of these symptoms, call 911 and your doctor as soon as possible.
Notes
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How a Stroke Occurs
• Ischemic stroke occurs when an artery that
supplies the brain is greatly narrowed or
blocked. This can be caused by a buildup
of plaque. It can also occur when small
pieces of plaque or blood clot (called
emboli) break off into the bloodstream.
The emboli flow in the blood until they get
stuck in a small blood vessel in the brain.
• Healthy Arteries – in a healthy artery, the
lining of the artery wall is smooth. This lets
blood flow freely from the heart to the rest
of the body. The brain gets all the blood it
needs to function well.
• Damaged Arteries – high blood pressure
from other problems can roughen artery
walls. This allows plaque to build up in the
walls. Blood clots may also form on the
plaque. This can narrow the artery and
limit blood flow.
inserted into one of the major blood vessels
in the leg, and is strategically advanced
towards the brain using a special video
system. Once the blood clot is found, the
small catheter is passed into its center where
the injection is delivered. After some time,
the tPA begins to dissolve the blood clot
until blood can flow past the clot towards the
area of the stroke. This treatment requires
special equipment and trained specialty
physicians. It is only available in selected
comprehensive stroke hospitals.
Treatment for Ischemic
Stroke
Thrombolytic or “Clot Busting”
Medications
Another treatment recently developed is
the process of removing blood clots that
have wandered into a small blood vessel
causing it to become occluded. This is done
by carefully passing a special device from a
blood vessel in the leg all the way into the
blood vessel in the brain where the blood
clot is trapped. The devise captures the clot
and pulls it out of the body, thus returning
blood flow to the affected area.
Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is a
thrombolytic agent (clot-busting drug). It’s
approved for use in certain patients having a
heart attack or stroke. The drug can dissolve
blood clots, which cause most heart attacks
and strokes. tPA is the only drug approved
by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
for the acute (urgent) treatment of
ischemic stroke. If given promptly, tPA can
significantly reduce the effects of stroke and
reduce permanent disability. tPA can only be
given to a person within the first four and a
half hours after the start of stroke symptoms.
What is a TIA?
A TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack) is an
early warning that a stroke (also called a
brain attack) is coming. A TIA is a temporary
stroke. It causes no lasting damage. But
the effects of a stroke, if it happens, can be
very serious and lasting. If you think you are
having symptoms of a TIA or stroke – even
if they don’t last – get medical help right
way. The imaging and lab testing is the
same for either a stroke or TIA. If you are
Endovascular Procedure
This treatment, which depending on the
location of the stroke in the brain can be
given for up to 6 hours after the onset of
symptoms, consists of the injection of tPA
directly into the blood clot that is causing the
stroke. To do this, a special small catheter is
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