Stroke is a medical emergency! Call 9-1-1 and seek medical help immediately!

If you experience stroke symptoms, a physician in the emergency room will do the following:

• Perform a physical exam
• Have blood and urine tests done
• Get a CT scan of the patient’s head
• Order and review results from other diagnostic tests, including EKG and chest x-ray

If the emergency room physician believes that you are experiencing a TIA or stroke, you will be admitted to the hospital and a neurologist will assume your care.  At that time, the following tests may be ordered to further evaluate the cause of these symptoms:

• MRI
• Carotid Ultrasound
• Echocardiogram

Clot Buster
If you arrive in the emergency room within 2 hours of the start of the stroke, you might be eligible to receive tPA. This very powerful, clot-busting medication can improve and sometimes prevent the disability caused by stroke by dissolving the clot. It must be given within 3 hours of when the stroke symptoms began.

**Note: Not everyone can be treated with tPA. The Emergency Physician will discuss contraindications with the patient and family.

CT Scan
A CT (computed tomography) scan produces a 3D image of the brain through the use of radiation. It is useful in diagnosing both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes as well as other problems in the brain.

MRI
An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) utilizes magnetic fields instead of radiation to make pictures of the brain in greater detail than what is possible with a CT scan. It also reveals abnormalities that might be too small to be seen by a CT scan. The MRI can show the damaged area of the brain immediately following the stroke.

Carotid Ultrasound
Through the use of ultrasound waves, this test shows how well blood flows through carotid arteries. A carotid ultrasound can determine if there is blockage (typically cholesterol deposits) in one or more of these arteries that could lead to a stroke in the future.

Echocardiogram
An echocardiogram is a non invasive type of ultrasound that uses sound waves to create moving images of your heart that can be viewed on a computer screen. This test is interpreted by a cardiologist and is usually performed to see how efficiently the heart and valves are functioning. The cardiologist will also look for a tumor or blood clot in the heart, which could be the cause of an embolic stroke.