Friday, March 11, 2016

Management Of A Patient With An Ischemic Stroke

A 68-year-old man with a history of hypertension and coronary artery disease presents with right sided weakness, sensory loss, and an expressive aphasia. Neuroimaging studies are shown.


In the emergency department the patient’s blood pressure is persistently 160/95.

Which of the following is the best next step in management of this patient’s blood pressure?

a. Administer IV nitroprusside.
b. Administer oral clonidine 0.1 mg po until the blood pressure drops below 140/90.
c. Observe the blood pressure.
d. Administer IV mannitol.
e. Administer IV labetolol.

Answer And Discussion:


The answer is c. (Observe the blood pressure.)

Although hypertension is an important cause of stroke, it should not be aggressively treated in the setting of acute cerebral ischemia. Since cerebral autoregulation is disrupted in acute stroke, a drop in blood pressure can decrease perfusion and worsen the so-called ischemic penumbra. Generally, blood pressure elevation up to 185/110 is not treated.
Some stroke specialists recommend more aggressive blood pressure control in acute intracranial hemorrhage, but this patient has an ischemic (not hemorrhagic) stroke.
Mannitol is of minimal benefit in cerebral edema associated with acute stroke.

2 comments:

  1. Hello, my name is Betty. i was diagnosed of HIV virus 4 years back. Before then, i was dating this Derrick guy. we had something great going on. Our love life only lasted for 8 months. the sixth and seven month of our relationship, i began feeling very weak every now and then. But i never suspected anything until I kept on experiencing different symptoms like having sore throats, constant headache, body weakness e.t.c. I decided to go for a medical check up. I was tested HIV positive. when the doctor broke the news to me, it was as if my whole world had crumbled. it dawned on me then that Derrick has been lying to me. i was very mad to an extent i almost committed suicide. But there was nothing i could do, other than weep and weep. ever since then, i have been spending heavily on medications, going from one medical clinic or the other so I can look healthy. Though since i was a kid, i love herbs a lot. i take herbal tea with grandma while growing so i am quite familiar with herbs. early last year, i was on the internet and on a particular health blog, to check for herbal medication as alternative. I saw many comments and read many testimonies. Until i came across a particular testimony on how Dr.ugo cured a patient from herpes simplex virus using pure natural herbs. i reached out to the doctor because I also was thinking Herpes had no cure. I told him about my HIV status.He encouraged me not to panic that he will help me get my deliverance. he prepared some herbs and sent them to me. The herbs were in four 70ml bottles and I took them morning and night. i used as he directed, and in less than three weeks, i started having appetite to eat plenty of food and i gained back my strength. the fourth week,I consumed all the herbal meds. He encouraged me to go for a test which i did. This time, the result was negative. I quickly contacted the doctor and informed him of the news. I immediately asked him to prepare for Derrick too. He did and sent it. Today, me and Derrick are HIV free. All thanks goes to God Almighty for healing us through Dr.Ugo. if you are having any kind of sickness at all, Dr.Ugo is the right person to talk to and i assure you, you will be glad you did. His email: ugoherbalhome@gmail.com you can also write him on WhatsApp +2348104990619.

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