Diagnosis of stroke
July 17, 2009 by Medical Dude
Filed under Stroke
A stroke is a medical emergency, and anyone suspected of having a stroke should be taken to a hospital immediately so that tests can be run and the correct treatment can be provided as quickly as possible.
Physicians have several tools available to screen for stroke risk and diagnose an active stroke. These include:
- Physical assessment – blood pressure tests and blood tests to see cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, and amino acid levels
- Ultrasound –

a wand waved over the carotid arteries in the neck can provide a picture that indicates any narrowing or clotting
- Arteriography -

a catheter is inserted into the arteries to inject a dye that can be picked up by X-rays
- Computerized tomography (CT) scan –
a scanning device that creates a 3-D image that can show aneurysms, bleeding, or abnormal vessels within the brain - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) -
a magnetic field generates a 3-D view of the brain to see tissue damaged by stroke
- CT and MRI with angiography -

scans that are aided by a dye that is injected into the blood vessels in order to provide clearer and more detailed images
- Echocardiography –
an ultrasound that makes images of the heart to check for embolus
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