What medicine to take for a stroke?

Written by Tang Bo
Neurology
Updated on March 03, 2025
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Stroke includes ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke, also known as cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage. The medications used for these two diseases differ, so it is essential to identify which type of disease it is. When symptoms occur, such as slurred speech, limb weakness, or other symptoms, it is crucial to seek medical attention immediately. Perform a cranial CT scan first to rule out bleeding, and then consider cerebral infarction. If it is a cerebral infarction, thrombolytic therapy can be administered within 4.5 hours of the acute phase, followed by hospital treatment. During the acute phase of a cerebral hemorrhage, the decision on whether to proceed with surgery depends on the amount of bleeding. Regardless of the situation, these conditions are often underpinned by several underlying diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, or hyperlipidemia, along with other risk factors. Therefore, medication needs to be personalized, and it is also necessary to check for any contraindications to determine what medication to use. (Medication use should be guided by a professional doctor.)

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Written by Tang Bo
Neurology
1min 3sec home-news-image

The treatment goals in the early stage of stroke

Stroke includes hemorrhagic and ischemic types. Whether it is hemorrhagic or ischemic, hospitalization is necessary during the acute phase. Depending on the patient's condition, if it is hemorrhagic, the amount of bleeding should be considered to decide whether to opt for surgical treatment or conservative treatment. If it is ischemic, and the treatment is initiated within the therapeutic time window, that is within 4.5 hours, thrombolytic therapy can be administered, which may potentially reverse the symptoms of the stroke. If the time window is missed, then conservative treatment is required. Acute cerebral infarction in its acute phase can potentially worsen, so the primary goal of acute phase treatment is to stabilize the condition. After stabilization, rehabilitation and physical therapy can gradually improve the patient's symptoms.

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Written by Liu Yan Hao
Neurology
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Precautions for Stroke Patients Using Mannitol

Patients with stroke, if experiencing cerebral hemorrhage, extensive cerebral infarction, or cerebral embolism, can develop cerebral edema. In such cases, it is necessary to use mannitol for dehydration to reduce intracranial pressure. Therefore, it is crucial to strictly determine the appropriate indications. For patients with cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral embolism, or extensive cerebral infarction, the peak period of cerebral edema generally occurs between five to seven days, during which time mannitol should be used to lower intracranial pressure. If the acute phase has passed, then there is no need to use mannitol. For some patients, using mannitol weeks later not only lacks therapeutic effect, it might even worsen the condition. Additionally, when using mannitol, it is important to monitor the patient's renal function. In patients with renal insufficiency, the use of mannitol may exacerbate renal damage, so monitoring changes in renal function is essential. (Please use medication under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Shi De Quan
Neurology
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Does lacunar infarction belong to ischemic stroke?

Lacunar infarction is a type of ischemic stroke, which can be simply explained as the blockage of small blood vessels. It generally belongs to one of the categories of ischemic strokes, which also include large vessel blockage and cerebral embolism. Lacunar infarction specifically refers to blockages in small blood vessels, and this type of stroke primarily occurs due to these small vessel blockages, and it is known as lacunar infarction.

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Written by Tang Bo
Neurology
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Is a stroke a cerebral infarction?

Stroke includes cerebral infarction. Stroke is divided into ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. Therefore, ischemic stroke is cerebral infarction, and hemorrhagic stroke is cerebral hemorrhage. Thus, one cannot say it is solely a cerebral infarction; it includes cerebral infarction. If symptoms of stroke appear, such as unclear speech or limb weakness, it might be either hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke. In such cases, it is crucial to seek medical attention immediately. For hemorrhagic stroke, one should visit the neurosurgery department, and for ischemic stroke, the neurology department is appropriate. Initially, a CT scan should be performed to make a clear diagnosis.

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Written by Tang Ying
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
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Treatment of urinary retention in stroke patients

In cases of urinary retention after a stroke, some patients experience this due to psychological factors, concerns, and the sudden need to remain in bed, making it difficult to urinate in bed since they cannot stand or squat. Therefore, the first step is to alleviate psychological factors, provide patient communication and counseling, and perform massages around the navel and abdomen, along with heat treatments, to help patients urinate on their own. In a second scenario, where the patient's condition is severe or even comatose, and they have difficulty urinating, a catheter can be placed. It's important to first try to rule out a urinary tract infection, collect a midstream urine sample for analysis, and ensure the catheter is not left in longer than necessary. Once the patient's condition improves or they regain consciousness, the catheter should be removed promptly to avoid any urinary tract infections.