Whoa, Joe, Whereas the diagnosis procedures are fine, the suggested
treatment may do more harm than good. You have to know exactly what you
are doing. I've had two minor strokes and my wife has had one major one.
It should be realised that the word stroke is, medically, almost
meaningless and the symptoms can indicate a number of conditions. The
two major ones are:
1) cerebral infarction. This is usually caused by a lump of plaque
breaking loose from an artery or a thrombotic embolism (e.g., from a
deep vein thrombosis in the leg). This solid matter will be transported
into one of the carotid arteries and then through the branching vessels
in the brain until it gets stuck, thereby restricting the blood supply
to part of the brain. This is more likely in patients, often of a
certain age, with a history of hypertension and/or arteriosclerosis.
Otherwise younger women are more prone than men, sometimes when
pregnant. This is the case where aspirin can help, provided a) the
patient is not taking any anticoagulants (e.g., Warfarin) and b) the
patient has no stomach or duodenal ulcers and c) the patient has no
allergy or hypersensitivity to aspirin or its derivatives.
2) cerebral haemmorhage. This happens when a blood vessel in the brain
bleeds. In bad cases, it may be due to an aneurysm. If this happens in a
major artery, then the mortality rate is very high, but a small bleed,
such as may be occasioned by a light physical bump to the head or along
the spine, may affect only a small part of the brain. The treatment here
is often to open the skull and drain the blood to relieve the pressure.
The ***important point*** I wish to make here is that adminstering
aspirin in this case could aggravate the condition and, in the worst
case, may even cause the death of the patient.
If the patient's history is such that it seems likely to be an
infarction and he is conscious, then I would say the risk of giving
aspirin is small and it would probably be of benefit. Otherwise, don't.
And, believe me, the 3 tests you give are by no means absolute. Speaking
from personal experience I could have passed all three after my first
infarction and probably after the second (not so sure about raising the
arms, as my right hand and forearm were paralysed, but the upper arm was
OK). In the case of my wife, she had a major one in the optic nerve but
she could have passed all the tests, except she was ¾ blind.
There are other causes of similar symptoms, other than cerebrovascular
accidents, but they are less likely, as a primary cause, to have a
sudden onset. Brain tumours, for example, are one possibility.
I'm not attacking you for your thoughtfulness but I do feel that it may
be dangerous to be too categorical in applying remedies unless you have
a knowledge of what is likely to be happening.
Brian
Joe Fjelstad wrote:
> I got this from a friend and thought it was worth sharing here. I figure if
> it saves one life it was well worth the small effort...
>
>
>
>
> STROKE: Remembering The 1st Three Steps
>
>
> STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
>
>
> If someone takes a suddenly falls from a moment of dizziness or
> disorientation they may have had a stroke. Some
> neurologists say that if they can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours they
> can totally reverse the effects of a stroke. (Totally is the word used.)
> They say the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting
> the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.
>
> RECOGNIZING A STROKE
>
> Simply remember the "3" steps, S...T...R .
>
> Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the
> lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain
> damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
>
>
> Doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple
> questions:
>
>
> S *Ask the individual to SMILE.
>
> T *Ask the person to TALK . to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE
>
> (Coherently) (i.e. . . It is sunny out today)
>
> R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
>
>
> NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out
> their tongue! ... if the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other
> that is also an indication of a stroke - Also give the individual 2 Aspirins
> as they will help to thin out there blood...
>
>
> If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 9-1-1 immediately
> and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
>
>
> It has been suggested by one doctor that if everyone who receives this
> e-mail sends it to 10 people; it is a good bet that at least one life will be
> saved.
>
>
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