Medical treatment for stroke:

Specific treatment for stroke will be determined by your physician based on:

• your age, overall health, and medical history
• severity of the stroke
• location of the stroke
• cause of the stroke
• your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
• type of stroke
• your opinion or preference

Although there is no cure for stroke, advanced medical and surgical treatments are now available, giving many stroke victims hope for optimal recovery.

Emergency treatments for stroke:

Treatment is most effective when started immediately. Emergency treatment following a stroke may include the following:

• medications used to the dissolve blood clot(s) that cause an ischemic stroke
  Medications that dissolve clots are called thrombolytics or fibrinolytics and are commonly known as "clot busters." One type of agent used is tissue plasminogen activator, or t-PA. These drugs have the ability to help reduce the damage to brain cells caused by the stroke. In order to be most effective, these agents must be given within several hours of a stroke's onset.
  
  
• medications and therapy to reduce or control brain swelling
  Corticosteroids and special types of intravenous (IV) fluids are often used to help reduce or control brain swelling, especially after a hemorrhagic stroke (a stroke caused by bleeding into the brain).
  

• medications that help protect the brain from damage and ischemia (lack of oxygen)
  Medications of this type are called neuroprotective agents, with some still under investigation in clinical trials.
  
  
• life support measures including such treatments as ventilators (machines to assist with breathing), IV fluids, adequate nutrition, blood pressure control, and prevention of complications

Other medications used to treat or prevent a stroke:

Other medications that may help with recovery following a stroke, or may help to prevent a stroke from occurring, include the following:

• medications to help prevent more blood clots from forming

Medications that help to prevent additional blood clots from forming are called anticoagulants, as they prevent the coagulation of the blood. Medications of this type include, for example, heparin and warfarin (Coumadin).

• medications that reduce the chance of blood clots by preventing platelets (a type of blood cell) from sticking together

Examples of this type of medication include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix®), dipyridamole (Aggrenox®) and ticlopidine (Ticlid®)

• medications to treat existing medical conditions such as diabetes, heart, or blood pressure problems 

Neurological Care at Rush

The neuroscience program at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago is considered among the nation’s best. From using deep brain stimulation to eliminate the tremors of Parkinson’s and other movement disorders to applying minimally invasive approaches to treating the spine and brain, experts at Rush are helping to revolutionize care for patients at Rush and around the world.

At Rush, our team is on the leading edge of advances in medicine, whether it’s a new minimally invasive technique or a novel drug. Because Rush is an academic medical center, our patients benefit from all of the latest innovations, including some that are unavailable anywhere else in the world.

For more information about care for neurological conditions visit the Neurological Care home page.

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