Management of stroke: a clinical approach.
Stroke is defined as repidly developing symptoms or signs of loss of cerebral function with no apparent cause other than vascular origin. The issues to be addressed when making diagnosis of stroke are : (1) is it a stroke? (2) What pathological type of stroke? (3) Where is the lesion? (4) What caused it? Differential diagnosis of stroke is chronic subdural haematoma, brain tumour, hypoglycaemic, metabolic encephalopathies, postictal neurological deficit and functional. CT or MRI is important investigation while dealing with a stroke patient. In treating acute stroke one has to go through the objectives eg, optimising the patient's chance of survival, minimising the risk and degree of disability and preventing recurrence. One has to think of genera care required in management of stroke. Control of blood pressure and blood sugar is important. Specific treatment includes aspirin, t-PA, low molecular weight heparin, calcium antagonists though some reservation persists over efficacy. Psychological support, cognitive impairment, motor and sensory impairment are to be addressed. Functional rehabilitation interventions, log-term management and secondary prevention are to be cared for.