Word: strokings
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...also important not to give TPA to someone who is suffering from a hemorrhagic, or bleeding, stroke, since in that case clotting is beneficial: it plugs up the offending leak. Luckily, CAT scans can easily distinguish between strokes that are caused by bleeding and those caused by clots...
...Even stroke victims who, for one reason or another, cannot be given TPA can increase their chances of survival and recovery by getting to an emergency room swiftly. Doctors can still give them blood thinners that may dislodge a stroke-causing clot. The outcome of some bleeding strokes can also be markedly improved by surgical repair of the blood vessel that is leaking into the brain...
...neuroprotective agents now being studied have the added benefit of being effective whether the stroke is caused by a clot or by internal bleeding. So far, however, they have worked only in experiments with laboratory animals, where they could be given within minutes after a stroke was induced. Clinical trials are under way to see whether, as with TPA, administering these drugs shortly after the stroke's occurrence produces better results...
...suffering a stroke in the first place is clearly a lot better than relying on medical wizardry to undo the damage. Most people can reduce their chances of stroke with a few life-style changes. Keeping cholesterol levels down decreases the risk of clots. Treating high blood pressure dramatically reduces the risk of bleeding, or hemorrhagic, strokes. Also, it is vitally important for smokers to kick the habit...
...every stroke can be prevented, of course. That is why neurologists would like to develop better emergency treatments for stroke. The development of safe neuroprotective agents would allow paramedics to start protecting the brain as soon as they suspect someone is suffering from a stroke. Then doctors could administer TPA or other treatments the minute patients arrive at the emergency room. Some doctors point to the fact that emergency cardiac treatment has helped cut the rate of death from heart attack 30% over the past 20 years. "I think we can catch up to and surpass that for stroke," says...