Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA)Stroke - Overview

Third leading cause of death in industrialized countries.

Total cost of strokes in the U.S. is roughly $43 billion a year.

$15,000 a year in medical care costs during the first 3 months after the attack.

Age is the principal risk factor.

Most strokes occur after the age of 65

More common in men Second greatest risk

factor is high blood pressure

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) - Symptoms are temporary but should be seen as a warning sign that a stroke is likely to occur.

Incidence

Approximately 500k Americans each year 3 million Americans have survived strokes 2 million Americans subsequently suffer

from paralysis, speech & memory loss.

Symptoms

Depends on the type of stroke and location of the lesion

Contra-lateral impairment

Hemiparesis - weakness on one side of the body - entire side; face, arm, or leg

Drooping of the mouth

Drooling Numbness on one side Loss of vision in one

visual field (transient monocular blindness)

Dysarthria (slurred speech)

Symptoms cont’d

Visual disturbances e.g. double vision, altered visual perception

Aphasia - difficulties with expressive and/or receptive language; can not name objects

Vertigo - dizziness, spinning sensation, imbalance

Memory difficulties Behavioral or

personality changes Swallowing

Causes

Ischemic Stroke 85% of all strokes are

from ischemia Lack of blood flow, or

major disturbance of blood flow due to the obstruction of a blood vessel

Atherosclerosis - an accumulation of plaque, cholesterol, and blood clots forms to the point of impeding subsequent blood flow.

Causes cont’d

Intracranial Hemorrhage

15% of strokes caused from hemorrhage (bleeding) in the brain

Hypertension, bleeding from tumors, trauma, illicit drug use, high blood pressure

Pt.s experience a sudden headache, vomiting, depressed level of consciousness

Some symptoms are caused by pressure associated with blood accumulation which is referred to as a hematoma

Warning Signs

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially if it is unilateral

Sudden confusion, difficulty speaking or understanding speech

Sudden difficulty seeing in one or both eyes Sudden difficulty walking dizziness, loss of

balance or coordination Sudden severe headache with no known cause