How is stroke treated?

How is stroke treated?

The patient with stroke in the acute phase should be treated in a Neurology service, preferably with a  Neurorehabilitation Unit . This decreases mortality and improves evolution.

During the acute phase, treatment consists of dissolving the thrombi that have formed. It can be done in different ways:

• Pharmacotherapy. Fibrinolytic drugs (rt-PA) are applied intravenously and sometimes arterially.
• Surgical treatment. Sometimes, it will be necessary to perform a surgical intervention to remove the atheromatous plaque formed or to dilate the artery through an angioplasty with a  stent . A catheter is introduced whose tip ends in a small inflatable balloon that, when inflated, compresses the plaque against the arterial walls.
• If the stroke is hemorrhagic, the appropriate treatment is  embolization of the aneurysm with colis , substances that plug the damaged arteries and prevent them from rupturing again.

It will also be necessary to treat and prevent risk factors to avoid the appearance of new episodes: high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes mellitus, etc.