Stroke is a dangerous disease that results in impaired cerebral circulation and a number of negative symptoms. Every year, half a million people are diagnosed with this disease in Russia alone, and up to a third of all patients die. Qualified and correct first aid provided at an early stage, as well as prompt delivery of the patient to the hospital, doubles the likelihood of survival.

The first signs of a cerebral stroke

In most cases (with or), a stroke has its own precursors and first signs, which can be used to accurately diagnose a cerebrovascular accident.

1. Loss of consciousness and stupor.
2. Severe drowsiness or, on the contrary, agitation.
3. Palpitation with dizziness.
4. Sweating, nausea and vomiting.
5. Partial or complete loss of orientation in time and/or space.
6. Partial or complete loss of control over individual parts of the body, paralysis of the lower and upper limbs.
7. Hemiparesis in the acute stage.
8. Violations of visual perception and speech apparatus, loss of sensitivity.

If you suspect, you must urgently call an ambulance, preferably an ambulance. After this, begin to proceed with the following activities:

1. Lay the person horizontally and place a pillow under the head, raising it above the body at an angle of 25-30 degrees.
2. Open the shutters and windows indoors or place the person in the shade if he is outdoors.
3. If the patient begins to vomit, immediately turn him on his side to prevent him from choking.
4. Maintain contact with the patient if he is conscious, but under no circumstances give him anything to eat or drink.
5. Immediately after placing in a horizontal position, loosen the person’s knots, belt, tie and other tight clothing items.
6. Measure your blood pressure - if it is elevated, give a beta blocker such as Atenolol immediately.
7. If breathing disappears or the heart stops, perform resuscitation measures. Perform a precordial blow (with the edge of a clenched fist, in the area of ​​the lower middle third of the sternum, two centimeters above the xiphoid process) - this will start the heart pumping. After this, begin chest compressions and artificial respiration.

Actions of a patient during a stroke

1. At the first suspicion of a stroke, you must immediately inform others about the problem and take a horizontal position with a pillow under your head.
2. Do not take medications, drink water or consume liquids on your own.
3. In most cases, during a stroke, a person cannot independently and adequately control his own actions, so he cannot take any additional actions. The patient should inform relatives, friends or an ambulance about his condition as quickly as possible before loss of speech function or paralysis.

To prevent ischemic stroke (primary or recurrent), you should:

1. Radically change your own lifestyle.
2. Quit smoking and alcohol addiction.
3. Monitor your blood pressure periodically - if it regularly exceeds 140 to 90, you should consult a doctor.
4. Minimize the number of stressful situations.
5. Treat any, even not very dangerous, cardiovascular diseases; be constantly monitored by a doctor if you have diabetes.
6. Normalize your weight by going on a diet and doing regular physical activity on your body.

The patient successfully survived the stroke - now he requires a comprehensive recovery, including a number of medical, physiological and socio-psychological procedures.

The most important stage is the first three months; it is during this period that motor and other functions begin to be restored. In the absence of progress, the chances of a full recovery are practically non-existent.

The list of classic techniques includes conservative medicinal therapy, classes with a massage therapist, speech therapist, physiotherapeutic procedures, kinesio- and neurophysiotherapy, as well as ergo-adaptability.

Useful exercises

Any physical and other types of exercises can be carried out only after prior agreement with the attending physician, who will develop an individual training regimen with the exact number of approaches and repetition cycles.

If the patient is on bed rest and cannot move independently, then simple extension/flexion/rotation of the elbows, knees, feet, fingers and other parts of the body is usually recommended. It is rational to use splints and other medical systems.

In addition, clasping the hands over the ankles, raising the arms above the head with a smooth amplitude, as well as rotating the eyeballs, visual fixation on distant/near objects, etc., help restore control over movements.

In a sitting or standing position, the range of exercises is much larger:

1. From a sitting position, raise your knees to your chest, arching your back and holding your breath at the peak of the exercise.
2. Sitting on a chair, squeeze your shoulder blades and throw your head back.
3. Raise the kugi above your head and lower them to your knees.
4. Extend your arms to the sides using an expander.
5. From a standing position (feet shoulder-width apart), tilt your torso to the sides, then slowly squat (feet together).
6. Throw a small object on the floor, then pick it up without assistance and place it on the table.
7. Other exercises.

In addition, do not forget about restoring memory and speech. If it’s easier to deal with the second one by performing simple exercises on pushing the tongue forward, folding the lips into a tube and other facially active actions, then restoring memory is more difficult - complex exercises are required, including arithmetic and logical training, as well as taking nootropic medications.

During this difficult period of time for the patient, proper nutrition will become one of the cornerstones of the patient’s quick and effective rehabilitation. Main points:

1. After an attack and restoration of the patient’s physiological minimum, he needs at least two liters of liquid per day in the form of broths, weak tea, low-fat milk, etc.
2. In the acute and subacute period of the disease, the caloric content of food should be low, but at the same time, the nutritional value should be sufficient to maintain normal life functions.
3. In the first days after a stroke, food is thoroughly ground into a paste and the person is fed from a teaspoon. Drink from a miniature teapot or a special bottle.
4. In the absence of a swallowing reflex, food is delivered to the body through a tube; naturally, it should be liquid with the addition of vitamins. In case of severe neurological disorder and loss of basic motor functions, intravenous administration of nutrient solutions is resorted to.
5. After the final restoration of the swallowing reflex and a general improvement in the body's condition, it is allowed to introduce more solid foods - vegetables, steamed cutlets, mashed potatoes, soft-boiled eggs, etc.

Basic characteristics of the post-stroke diet include avoiding sweet and fatty foods, salt, spicy snacks, alcohol, strong tea/coffee and any kind of marinades/smoked meats. It is advisable for hypertensive patients to introduce more buckwheat, dried apricots, cabbage and figs into their daily diet - they contain magnesium and potassium salts that are beneficial after a stroke.

Nutritionists note that people who have suffered a stroke quite often experience regular constipation. It is advisable to combat them not with medications and enemas, but with the correct selection of a nutritional plan, which includes, in addition to all of the above, eating exclusively black bread made from wholemeal flour, prunes, honey, fresh fruits (excluding those that increase blood pressure), as well as minerals. waters with a laxative effect.

Useful video

Elena Malysheva in the program “Live Healthy”. First aid for stroke

First aid for stroke

Pre-hospital exposure is considered one of the main factors in normalizing the condition of a stroke. According to research, up to 20% of all patients die at the stage before transporting a person to a hospital.

The rest, with untimely or incorrect assistance, risk becoming disabled, with persistent neurological deficits (about another 40%).

Primary pre-medical measures at home and on the street acquire a very “creative” character; not even the most complete manual can take into account all the nuances.

Theory often diverges from practice. Therefore, lists and algorithms are approximate in nature, indicate necessary actions and strict prohibitions, which must be adhered to.

First aid for a stroke before the ambulance arrives does not aim to cure the person and prevent his transportation to the hospital. Even a doctor in “field” conditions is not capable of this.

It is necessary to stabilize the condition, minimize the risks of death and disability due to lack of outside help. With a competent approach, there is every chance of achieving your goal, albeit with difficulty.

The classic scheme includes a large group of actions and a slightly smaller number of strict prohibitions. Care for hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke will be the same.

You need to calm down, stabilize your emotional background

People who have no or minimal first aid experience are especially nervous.

A stressful situation leads to confusion in activity, a person fusses, moves a lot, runs, but all to no avail, since there is no purposefulness and this is chaotic work.

This means that the time required for first aid increases, the effectiveness of measures decreases, and the victim’s chances of a favorable outcome and preservation of the basic functions of the central nervous system, and even life, are reduced.

Call an ambulance

A task of paramount importance at the slightest suspicion of a stroke. There is very little you can do on your own. When calling, be sure to tell the dispatcher about your suspected diagnosis and briefly and clearly describe the situation.

By downplaying, a person risks making a fatal mistake. Ambulance teams are not fully staffed, and if there are enough staff, there are few cars driving around the city, so doctors are forced to rank and sort cases by urgency.

It is important that the victim is on the priority list, then the team will arrive much faster. Otherwise, there is a risk of not waiting for doctors for several hours or even more.

Assess objective signs and body functions that play a key role

The cardiovascular system is examined by heart rate (pulse on the carotid artery) and pressure level. Both indicators fall against the background of a stroke, or increase slightly and only then “sag” to minimum levels, because the body is in a stressful state.

Tachypnea (increase) develops more often; decrease in frequency, superficiality, and inability to listen normally indicate possible damage to the respiratory center in the brain stem.

Then there are other signs. Like a deep faint. The simplest reflexes are also necessarily assessed. Like the reaction of the pupils to light. Decreased response speed is a negative thing.

Identify objective signs of stroke

They are represented by neurological deficits of varying severity.

For example, facial distortion due to paralysis of the facial muscles on the side opposite the localization of the lesion, inability to control the limbs, profound loss of consciousness, speech dysfunction, convulsions.

These are non-specific signs, so it’s impossible to say anything precise right away. Diagnostics is needed in a hospital setting, and then only after providing high-quality hospital care.

Related materials:

• Signs of a microstroke in and in

Interview the patient for complaints

If the person is conscious. On the one hand, this will allow you to better navigate the situation, on the other hand, it will help reduce the time when doctors arrive.

They will start asking the same questions and only then will they transport the patient to the hospital. It is better to prevent such an unreasonable waste of time.

Complaints may include headaches, vertigo (the world is spinning before your eyes), nausea, a feeling of goosebumps, numbness of the limbs, the whole body, confusion, weakness, drowsiness, discomfort when swallowing, a feeling of a lump in the throat (not always).

Attention:

It is important to interview the patient as briefly as possible so as not to overload him with information and force him to think intensively. It can be dangerous in this condition.

Provide a person with complete peace of mind

Eliminate exposure to intense noise and light stimuli, talk less with the victim, and do not allow him to move.

Place the patient on his back

The head should be slightly higher than the level of the body, just as the body itself should be raised. This will ensure adequate blood flow to the brain and prevent uneven hemodynamics, when the limbs receive more nutrients and oxygen than the cerebral structures.

The position can be changed if the victim is unconscious. There are two options.

• Leave in this position and simply turn your head slightly to the side. This will prevent aspiration of gastric contents during vomiting, and therefore eliminate asphyxia and death.
• The second possible option is to lay it on its side. The effect will be approximately the same. Therefore, the issue is resolved at the discretion of the person providing emergency assistance.

The second option is considered safer in terms of preventing aspiration.

Calm a person down

The algorithm of actions includes normalization of the emotional and mental background. A stroke is a severe stress from any point of view. Therefore, the patient’s normal reaction is fear and panic.

Possible psychomotor agitation. It is necessary to explain to the patient the essence of the condition, without going into detail, to talk about the positive prospects for treatment and the possibility of full recovery.

Ensure a normal flow of fresh air

If the patient is on the street, there will be no problems. It is worth opening a window or window indoors. This will partially compensate for hypoxia (oxygen starvation of the brain) so as not to provoke further deterioration.

Constant condition monitoring

You need to carefully monitor your breathing and cardiac activity. If deviations develop, resuscitation measures are carried out. How exactly?

Indirect cardiac massage when it stops (). It is a way to restore the functioning of a muscle organ.

It is carried out urgently. You need to place your open palm on the center of your chest, with your other hand on top.

Rhythmically press the area to a depth of several centimeters at a speed of 80-100 movements per minute.

Providing emergency assistance is a physically challenging task. Therefore, the ideal option is for a person to be replaced by another every 1-2 minutes, who will carry out the same activities with fresh forces and so on in a circle.

If medical workers do not arrive within 10 minutes and it is possible to transport the victim to the hospital yourself, do not hesitate.

Because with a stroke, minutes really count. The delay reduces the chances of survival or recovery of higher nervous activity without complications.

Once the doctors arrive, all activities are stopped. We need to briefly describe the situation again in a nutshell. If necessary, the patient is accompanied to the hospital.

The list presented is approximate. This is not a rigid algorithm, not a sequence.

In real conditions, sometimes it is necessary to perform several actions at once to achieve a result. Therefore, first aid has a considerable share of improvisation.

What not to do

As for the prohibitions, they are strict. They must not be violated, or the patient will suffer even more. What exactly to avoid:

• A body position in which the head is below the level of the body. A catastrophic hemodynamic disturbance will occur and critical ischemia will develop. The stroke will get worse. The patient's death will occur.
• Any physical activity is excluded. A person should lie down and move as little as possible. A stroke is not always a critical condition in which the patient lies prone and cannot not only walk, but also speak.

Much depends on the localization of destruction, the speed of development and intensity of neurological deficit, general health and resistance to negative factors.

Therefore, you need to strictly monitor any activity and stop it. Spontaneous deterioration is possible with imaginary well-being. Doctors should understand the issue.

• Emergency care for a stroke excludes the use of any unknown drugs. If a person has discussed the possibility of a condition with his doctor, he needs to clarify what medications he is taking, whether there are any recommendations in this regard, and only then give pills. To the extent that the victim himself is unable to drink them for obvious reasons.

Amateur activity is strictly excluded. In exceptional cases, you can resort to injections of cerebrovascular drugs, such as Piracetam, Actovegin.

But for this there must be complete confidence that there is no stroke. This means there is no hemorrhage.

And that he does not, so as not to provoke deterioration. It is impossible to understand this by eye, therefore it is definitely not recommended to take risks.

• You cannot eat or drink a lot of liquid. If you lose consciousness, profuse vomiting will occur, which can lead to aspiration (penetration of masses from the gastrointestinal tract into the respiratory tract).
• You cannot wash your face, take a bath, or take a shower. Contrary to what you might think, a change in temperature does not have a beneficial effect on blood vessels. This is stress for the entire system.

Under no circumstances should you rely on your own strength. The task of first aid is to stabilize the condition until doctors arrive. It does not replace transportation to a hospital, full intensive care, or hospital care.

If these points are not observed, the first actions in case of a stroke risk becoming the last.

What to do if you lose consciousness

The violation indicates a severe stroke condition. Negative prognostic sign.

It is necessary to turn the patient on his side, as already mentioned, or slightly change the position of the head. To prevent vomit from entering the respiratory tract.

Hitting a person on the cheeks, shouting loudly, shaking them by the shoulders is not only contraindicated, but also stupid from the standpoint of common sense. It is impossible to bring a person out of fainting in this way, but it is quite possible to harm his health.

When loss of consciousness develops, it is especially important to monitor the person’s condition. Assess the heart rate and the preservation of normal respiratory activity.

Because cerebral edema, brainstem dysfunction and death are likely. At the first deviations, resuscitation is carried out as far as one’s own strength allows.

For convulsions

Painful voluntary muscle spasms occur against the background of damage to the parietal, temporal, and frontal lobes of the brain. They are extremely uncomfortable for the patient.

It is impossible to radically influence the state of things; the only thing worth recommending, after a paroxysm (attack), when it comes to an end, is to turn the patient’s head to the side.

A hypertonic tongue cannot sink. And with total relaxation of the muscles, this is quite possible and very dangerous.

Tonic-clonic seizures, like other abnormalities, develop not only against the background of a stroke.

They are possible with brain tumors, idiopathic, cryptogenic or undiagnosed epilepsy, neuroinfections, and injuries.

Therefore, it is impossible to differentiate states on your own. It happens that the reason for the situation is not what others think about. Including doctors. Diagnosis required.

Before the arrival of specialists, it is assumed that it is a stroke, since the symptoms are almost indistinguishable.

In case of cardiac arrest

Asystole is an acute medical emergency. It may well turn out to be irreversible, so the chances of recovery are not present in all cases. But sitting idly by is prohibited.

In many situations, unfortunately, we are talking about damage to the brain stem. Not necessarily primary. The focus may be in the opposite part of the cerebral structures.

But this is a closed system that exists in extremely cramped conditions. Therefore, intracranial pressure and the amount of cerebrospinal fluid increase. This means that damage to the trunk with the development of catastrophic symptoms is indirectly possible.

With the destruction of subcortical structures, the chances of “starting” the heart are minimal. There is no stimulation of the muscle organ from the central nervous system. In such a situation it is almost impossible to help.

The basis of resuscitation is indirect cardiac massage (the technique is presented above). You need to make about 80-120 movements per minute, the chest is pressed 5-6 centimeters.

To achieve the effect you will have to put in a lot of effort. This requires good physical preparation, but quickly exhausts you. It is quite possible that the maximum a person can do is 30-80 seconds.

Many people do not have experience in doing this, so clinical recommendations do not advise resorting to the technique without skill and psychological readiness.

Restoration of cardiac activity can be considered a conditional success. But a relapse is likely at any moment. It is worth closely monitoring the patient.

Actions on the street

First aid for a stroke at home requires less effort, because there are additional risks outside the walls. There are not many fundamental differences.

What we're talking about:

• You may feel unwell, fall, or lose consciousness in a dangerous place. For example, on a busy unregulated crossing. The person should be transported away from risks and to safety as quickly as possible
• During the cold season, the victim is transferred indoors.
• The collar should be loosened and body jewelry removed. To avoid compression of the carotid sinus and carotid artery. Otherwise, there will be an even greater deterioration in brain trophism.
• If possible, you need to involve other people in first aid who could temporarily take over. For example, if it is necessary to perform a cardiac massage. Perhaps someone will agree to transport the patient to a hospital if the ambulance is late or does not arrive at all.
• It is imperative to call the person’s relatives so that they know about what happened. After the ambulance arrives, tell about the movement of the victim to the hospital (hospital number).

First aid for a stroke is a difficult task. It is not easy to perform all the steps correctly even with a medical education.

But with proper treatment, the patient has every chance to recover and maintain life and health. This is a key point along with the actions of doctors.

Prompt assistance for a stroke and proper therapy can not only save a person’s life, but also minimize the consequences of an attack, which in the future affects the quality of his life. Unfortunately, the consequences of the disease are often very severe, since people around them do not recognize the disease in time, and the patient does not receive treatment. Therefore, in order to be able to provide first aid in case of impaired blood flow to the brain, it is necessary to thoroughly study its signs and find out what actions should be taken.

What to do if you have a stroke: emergency care and actions

Most often, cerebral circulatory disorders occur in people aged 45 years and older. The risk group includes patients with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, arrhythmia and bleeding disorders. Symptoms that usually indicate a stroke include:

• headache;
• dizziness;
• attacks of sudden drowsiness, weakness or fatigue;
• increased blood pressure;
• a feeling of heat followed by a feeling of cold.

If a person experiences such ailments, one should not delay time, but consult a doctor who will diagnose and prescribe a course of treatment.

Considering that the effectiveness of therapy depends on how quickly a violation of cerebral blood flow was identified and first aid for a stroke was provided, you should be aware of all the signs of the disease.

If a person has impaired cerebral circulation, he will experience the following symptoms:

• Strong headache;
• feeling of weakness;
• dizziness;
• numbness of the limbs on one side;
• numbness of half the face;
• distorted face;
• sudden loss of balance, often accompanied by nausea or fainting;
• deterioration in the quality of speech (a feeling of “porridge in the mouth” may occur);
• sudden epileptic seizure;
• sharp deterioration of vision, double vision;
• loss of habitual skills such as reading or writing.

If there is minimal suspicion of a cerebral circulatory disorder, the patient should be asked to undergo a simple test. Ask him to smile, say “thirty-three,” extend his arms forward and freeze in this position for a few seconds. If the patient cannot cope with at least one of the tasks, you need to quickly call an ambulance. At the same time, it is necessary to insist that not an ordinary team of doctors arrive, but a specialized neurological team.

First aid before the ambulance arrives

A stroke is an emergency, so there is no time to delay. While waiting for the arrival of the ambulance team, which must deliver the patient to a specialized medical facility, it is necessary to alleviate the person’s situation by providing first aid.

First you need to check the patient's breathing. Vomiting is considered one of the symptoms of cerebral hemorrhage, so vomit may interfere with normal breathing. If respiratory problems are detected, the airways are cleared - the patient is placed on his side and the oral cavity is cleaned by wrapping a finger in a handkerchief or a piece of gauze.

If there is a tonometer and a glucometer, the patient's blood pressure is measured and the amount of sugar in the blood is determined. The time for taking measurements and the results are recorded and then reported to the visiting team of doctors.

It is very important to know exactly when the patient had a stroke. Having discovered a person who has signs of a stroke, you need to remember or try to find out who and when last saw the patient in a normal state.

First aid for a stroke does not involve taking medications that lower blood pressure. In the first hours after a failure in cerebral blood supply, an increased level of pressure is a necessary norm, which helps the brain adapt to what happened.

A person suspected of having a stroke should not be given food or drink, as food eaten or water drunk can worsen the patient's condition.

If a person, having lost consciousness, falls and ends up on the floor, he can be moved by changing the position of his body. There is an opinion that it is forbidden to move a person whose blood supply to the brain is impaired. However, this statement is a myth that does not correspond to reality.

The patient must be positioned so that his head and upper body are elevated. To make breathing easier, unbutton clothes or remove obstructive items. In the room where the patient is lying, it is necessary to ensure the flow of air from the street by opening a window or window.

One of the symptoms of impaired cerebral blood flow is an epileptic seizure, in which the patient loses consciousness. A few seconds after loss of consciousness, the patient begins to experience convulsive muscle contractions throughout the body, lasting several minutes. Convulsive seizures are single or follow one after another. If a person has epileptic seizures, you need to protect him from hitting the floor, walls or pieces of furniture with a pillow or other soft thing tucked under his head. The person’s head is held, wiping away the foam coming from the mouth with a towel or cloth, in order to prevent it from entering the respiratory tract. To prevent the patient from injuring himself during a seizure by biting his tongue, a small stick or other strong oblong object wrapped in several layers of cloth should be inserted between the teeth.

During a seizure, no attempt is made to hold the patient’s limbs by force or to unclench the cramped fingers. These actions can cause the seizure to worsen and put you at risk for an accidental fracture or dislocation. It is also forbidden to try to bring the patient to consciousness using ammonia, as it can cause respiratory arrest. In addition, if the patient begins to have convulsions, there is a risk of spilling ammonia and causing a chemical burn to the tissue.

A person who has epileptic seizures cannot be moved from place to place.

If the patient’s pulse ceases to be palpable, cardiac arrest occurs and respiratory activity stops, resuscitation procedures begin immediately. Before the medical team arrives or the lung function is restored, the patient is given chest compressions and mouth-to-nose or mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration.

PMP

The arriving ambulance team must transport the patient to a specialized medical facility, where he will be provided with treatment. After a person who has suffered a hemorrhage is hospitalized, you need to make sure that doctors have performed all the necessary manipulations. The patient must undergo a computed tomography scan of the brain. Without a tomography, it is impossible to accurately determine whether the patient had a hemorrhage or not, the type of stroke, and what areas of the brain were damaged.

Patients also need to undergo laboratory tests, in particular to determine the level of oxygen saturation in the blood. If a stroke is suspected, a cardiogram is also done and blood pressure is measured.

There are two forms of the disease:

• hemorrhagic (considered the most dangerous type of disease, in which there is a serious threat to life), is a hemorrhage in the brain, during which the artery wall ruptures;
• ischemic (the most common form of the disease), in which brain damage occurs due to impaired blood supply, causing a lack of oxygen.

Forms of stroke have similar symptoms and different mechanisms of development, but require different treatment methods. If, as a result of a computed tomography scan, a hemorrhagic stroke was not detected in a person, it is necessary to then conduct a magnetic resonance imaging scan, which, in the case of an ischemic stroke, allows one to obtain the maximum amount of information. If there is time, a more detailed examination of the patient is carried out, ultrasound scanning of cerebral vessels and angiography are performed. Based on the examination results, the patient is prescribed a treatment program.

If a person has an ischemic stroke, the patient is prescribed thrombolytic therapy. The emergency method can significantly reduce and even eliminate the consequences of hemorrhage, which significantly increases the possibility of a full recovery. The patient is given a drug intravenously that dissolves a blood clot blocking a cerebral artery. However, thrombolytic therapy is possible only within the first three hours from the moment of hemorrhage. In addition, this treatment method can only be used in a specialized medical facility.

The technique used for ischemic stroke can significantly aggravate the condition of a person who has suffered a hemorrhagic stroke, the treatment of which often requires surgery.

Knowledge about the first symptoms of cerebral blood supply disorders and the ability to recognize the disease allows you to provide timely medical care to the patient. Modern medical methods and treatment technologies make it possible to effectively combat the disease, so a person who has suffered a stroke after rehabilitation has every chance of recovering and returning to a normal lifestyle.

A stroke is an acute disorder of cerebral circulation, which entails a variety of negative consequences: impaired memory, speech, thinking, etc. If you suspect a stroke, when the first signs appear, you should not waste time, but you should immediately call a doctor.

First aid for stroke is also important, because the future prognosis largely depends on how correctly the first steps were performed. What to do if a stroke occurs? How to help a person before the ambulance arrives?

Signs of stroke in men and women

Before providing first aid for a stroke, it is necessary to make sure that it is an acute cerebrovascular accident. The fact is that the symptoms are in many ways similar to other diseases.

On the day preceding the attack, a person may experience precursor symptoms, which are expressed in vegetative-vascular dystonia, characterized by:

• pain in the thoracic region of an acute or dull nature, occurring in the form of prolonged attacks;
• unexplained anxiety;
• redness of the face, swelling of the venous vessels at the temples;
• surges in blood pressure;
• increased heart rate;
• acute pain syndrome in the epigastric region and disruption of the gastrointestinal tract: constipation and diarrhea;
• increased sweating;
• general malaise;
• weakness in the limbs.

Such clinical manifestations are considered common and can be characteristic of many other diseases. However, if they rapidly develop into more severe symptoms, this directly indicates a stroke. It is at this stage that it is important to provide emergency first aid for an impending stroke, which will help reduce the severity of negative consequences.

Among the main signs of an attack:

• trembling (tremor) of the limbs;
• impaired mobility of arms and legs: awkwardness, unnaturalness;
• loss of sensation in the limbs;
• speech impairment: incoherence, slurredness;
• disturbance of visual function: blurred vision, appearance of a veil, circles before the eyes;
• impaired coordination of movements;
• short-term memory loss;
• violation of orientation in space;
• dizziness, fainting;
• loss of sensation on one side of the face and torso;
• nausea and vomiting syndrome; noise in the head and ears.

To confirm that a stroke has occurred, it is necessary to check whether the person can independently hold his arm parallel to the floor for 10 seconds and lift his leg from the support. If this is not possible, you need to immediately call a doctor, that is, emergency medical care.

Efficiency of emergency assistance

Many people are not inclined to lead a healthy lifestyle, which does not have the best effect on the condition of organs and systems, including the blood vessels of the brain. According to statistics, the highest mortality rate in the country is from stroke. To reduce the risk of death and minimize other negative consequences, it is important to provide proper first aid for a stroke in the first hours.

A negative prognosis largely depends on the fact that if a stroke is suspected, those around the patient are in no hurry to take medical actions, because they do not even know what they are. Anyone can provide first aid, and it is not at all difficult.

Emergency assistance procedure

If a person has a stroke, the development of irreversible changes occurs over several hours. The therapeutic window, which lasts 4.5 hours, is a period during which serious consequences can be prevented if the correct medical care is provided.

However, most of this time is spent on pre-medical measures, the arrival of a doctor, and transporting a person with an attack to a hospital. Therefore, it is not recommended to waste a single minute and if alarming symptoms appear, immediately provide first aid and call a doctor.

Algorithm of actions for providing first aid for a stroke at home:

1. First of all, it is necessary to calm the patient, because excessive anxiety will only aggravate the condition.
2. Next, the victim is placed on the bed, the head is raised (30 degrees).
3. If there is vomiting, the person is placed on his side, which will avoid reflux of vomit into the respiratory tract and, as a result, disruption of respiratory function.
4. Compressive elements of clothing are loosened: collar, belt.
5. If you have high blood pressure, you must write down the readings and report them upon the doctor’s arrival. As a rule, hypertension is a natural phenomenon in the first hours after an attack.
6. It is recommended to place the lower limbs in a bowl of hot water. This will allow blood to flow from the brain to the lower torso, thereby reducing pressure on the vessels of the head.

Compliance with such rules helps to eliminate rapid death and profound disability.

What not to do

Before the ambulance arrives, certain actions are prohibited during the process of providing first aid for a stroke.

First of all, this is not allowing the patient to fall asleep. Among the first symptoms are general malaise and increased drowsiness, but falling asleep during a stroke is strictly prohibited. First aid medications are most effective in the first hours after an attack.

The second restriction is the exclusion of taking any medications, food, drinks. This is especially dangerous in hemorrhagic stroke, which is considered more rare than ischemic stroke. In this case, the attack is caused by a ruptured blood vessel, and any medications can only aggravate the condition.

Drinking and eating are also excluded. In some cases, during an attack, swallowing function is impaired and drinking liquids or foods can cause breathing problems.

Sometimes it happens that the ambulance team does not travel for a long time or cannot arrive at all when called. However, driving a vehicle on your own to get to a medical facility is strictly prohibited. You can ask a neighbor or a passer-by to take a person with a stroke to the hospital.

Features of emergency care

To provide proper first aid, it is recommended to study how to behave in various situations, for example, if you manage to find a victim on the street, if he is unconscious or unconscious.

First aid on the street

Helping a person with a stroke, if the situation occurred on the street, is no different from therapeutic measures carried out at home:

1. The victim is laid horizontally, and if vomiting occurs, on his side.
2. Tight elements of clothing become loose (collar, belt).
3. If an attack occurs near any room in which the tonometer accidentally ended up, it is recommended to measure the pressure. If it is elevated, the patient’s head is raised; if it is low, he is left lying on a support.
4. If there is a convulsive syndrome, the victim is placed on his side. Any available object wrapped in cloth is inserted into the oral cavity and left until the attack ends.

Before the ambulance arrives, it is important to stay close to the patient and monitor his condition.

If the patient is conscious

If the victim's consciousness is not impaired, to confirm the diagnosis it is recommended to ask the person his name or where he lives. As a rule, due to short-term memory loss, the patient will not be able to answer such simple questions.

It is necessary to calm the patient down and not allow him to panic. Excitement and fear only aggravate the clinical manifestations of a stroke. It is important to give him a comfortable position (you can sit with a pillow under your back).

If the patient is unconscious

What to do in case of a stroke if the victim has lost consciousness: lay him on his side, remove removable dentures from his mouth (if any), make sure he is breathing.

Emergency assistance is required even in cases where the patient is intoxicated. According to statistics, approximately 25-30% of people who died at home were in this condition.

If the patient is not breathing or has no pulse

If there are no signs of breathing and it is impossible to feel the pulse, first aid for a stroke consists of chest compressions, artificial respiration through the nose or mouth to mouth.

Emergency medical care for stroke

After first aid for a stroke has been provided, further therapeutic measures are carried out by a doctor in a hospital. Treatment features differ depending on the type of stroke, which can be ischemic and hemorrhagic.

If you are diagnosed with an ischemic attack

With an ischemic stroke, there is a sudden acute disruption of blood circulation in a certain part of the brain. Basic therapy after the patient is admitted to the hospital is as follows:

• in reducing brain swelling;
• maintaining heart function;
• monitoring respiratory function and general temperature;
• restoration of water and electrolyte balance.

Specific drug treatment can eliminate the source of acute blood flow disturbance:

• intravenous administration of a thrombolytic drug that helps dissolve a blood clot that is preventing normal blood flow to the brain;
• administration of an anticoagulant, which helps prevent the growth of a blood clot;
• introduction of a neuroprotector, which helps to inhibit the pathological chain of neurochemical reactions.

Further measures involve the restoration of lost functions that arose due to the death of part of the brain.

If you are diagnosed with a hemorrhagic stroke

While transporting the victim to a medical facility, the ambulance team carries out resuscitation measures, which consist of administering drugs that reduce blood pressure, relieve psychomotor agitation, and convulsions.

Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the exact location of the hemorrhage is found, the level of its spread in the brain tissue is determined, treatment is determined, which can be medicinal and surgical.

Surgical therapy involves surgical removal of the hematoma, which will reduce swelling of the brain and prevent negative consequences caused by displacement of organ structures. The operation can be microsurgical endoscopic or classical microsurgical, if there are no contraindications (coma, location of the hematoma in the medial part of the cerebral hemisphere).

Conservative therapy involves achieving the same goals as surgical therapy, but is carried out when it is impossible to use surgical techniques. They use drugs that normalize blood pressure and heart activity, slow down damage to parts of the brain, and restore their activity. To stop hemorrhage, hemostatic agents are administered.

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Conclusion

Stroke is a dangerous disease that can cause death if not treated promptly. 50% of success and a favorable prognosis depends on the correct provision of first aid. Therefore, if alarming symptoms occur that indicate an attack, there is no need to waste time, but immediately take pre-medical measures.