What is a stroke?

Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
Updated on November 24, 2024
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The English term for 脑卒中 is stroke, which generally refers to a group of cerebrovascular diseases. These diseases often onset acutely and mainly consist of two types. The first type is ischemic stroke, which includes diseases like cerebral thrombosis, watershed infarction, cerebral infarction, and cerebral embolism. The second type is hemorrhagic stroke, which primarily includes cerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage among other bleeding-related disorders. Regardless of the type, the onset of stroke is very sudden, and patients rapidly develop severe neurological deficits. For example, a patient may experience sudden slurred speech, paralysis of one side of the body, or numbness and weakness on one side. There will inevitably be obvious symptoms like dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, and stiffness of the neck. If a stroke is suspected, it is crucial to rush to the hospital immediately. Doctors will make an accurate diagnosis and provide appropriate treatment based on the patient's medical history and cranial CT scans.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
1min 9sec home-news-image

What is a stroke?

The English term for 脑卒中 is stroke, which generally refers to a group of cerebrovascular diseases. These diseases often onset acutely and mainly consist of two types. The first type is ischemic stroke, which includes diseases like cerebral thrombosis, watershed infarction, cerebral infarction, and cerebral embolism. The second type is hemorrhagic stroke, which primarily includes cerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage among other bleeding-related disorders. Regardless of the type, the onset of stroke is very sudden, and patients rapidly develop severe neurological deficits. For example, a patient may experience sudden slurred speech, paralysis of one side of the body, or numbness and weakness on one side. There will inevitably be obvious symptoms like dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, and stiffness of the neck. If a stroke is suspected, it is crucial to rush to the hospital immediately. Doctors will make an accurate diagnosis and provide appropriate treatment based on the patient's medical history and cranial CT scans.

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Written by Tang Ying
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
45sec home-news-image

What does "brain stroke dnt" mean?

The term "DNT" refers to the time from when an acute stroke patient arrives at the hospital to the start of intravenous thrombolytic treatment. Both domestic and international guidelines recommend the DNT to be within 60 minutes—the earlier, the better. This standard was established by the National Health and Family Planning Commission. The time it takes for pre-hospital emergency care and in-hospital medication administration is approximately 60 minutes each. It is only by improving the time from pre-hospital treatment to medication administration within this golden window that we can enhance the patient's survival rate, prognosis, and quality of life, while minimizing disability rates.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
1min home-news-image

Main manifestations of pre-stroke warning signs

The precursor of cerebral thrombosis in neurology is called transient ischemic attack (TIA). As the name suggests, this is a transient disease, mainly characterized by symptomatic speech impairment, facial droop, drooling, episodic dizziness, blurred vision, and episodic numbness and weakness of limbs. These symptoms are generally transient, usually lasting from several minutes to a few hours and can be completely relieved. The precursor of cerebral thrombosis is regarded as an emergency in neurology and must be treated promptly. Delayed treatment can possibly progress to cerebral infarction, severely affecting the patient's quality of life and physical health. In considering this disease, one must immediately rush to the hospital for appropriate treatment with antiplatelet drugs, lipid-regulating drugs to stabilize plaques, and treatments such as volume expansion and fluid supplementation.

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Written by Tang Ying
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
1min 7sec home-news-image

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.

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Written by Liu Yan Hao
Neurology
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The difference between stroke and cerebral infarction

The difference between stroke and cerebral infarction lies in the scope of stroke, which is broader and includes cerebral infarction. Stroke is divided into hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke. Common types of hemorrhagic stroke include cerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Common types of ischemic stroke include cerebral infarction and cerebral thrombosis. Thus, the scope of stroke is relatively large and includes cerebral infarction. Cerebral infarction occurs when a blockage in the cerebral blood vessels leads to ischemia, edema, and necrosis of the brain tissue in the supplied area, resulting in symptoms of stroke. Additionally, cerebral embolism occurs when an embolus from another part of the body detaches and blocks a brain artery, causing ischemia and necrosis of the brain tissue in the supplied area, also leading to stroke.