Screening And Diagnosis Of Stroke

Proper and quick diagnosis is the most important factor in the treatment of any disease. Unless you correctly diagnose the disease, you can’t give the adequate treatment. The stroke is one of the serious problems resulted from the inadequate blood supply to the brain. It can lead to permanent damage to the brain cells and some disabilities. Generally, the disabilities caused due to the stroke are permanent. They completely change the lifestyle of the stroke victim. Hence, it is very essential to consider the stroke as medical emergency and treat it immediately.

Screening and diagnosis of stroke is meant for detecting the type of stroke and its location. Other possible causes of the symptoms like a tumor can be eliminated by performing some tests. Some of the common methods of screening and diagnosis of stroke are physical examination, some blood tests, carotid ultrasonography, arteriography, CT scan, MRI scan, electroencephalogram, Doppler ultrasound test, digital subtraction angiography and radionuclide angiography.

First of all, the physician takes complete medical history. In the physical examination, the doctor checks the blood pressure and pulse. The neurological examination involves tests of nerves and muscles. The blood tests involve the determination of elevated levels of cholesterol, blood glucose and the amino acid, homocysteine. They are the high risk factors for the stroke. If the whooshing sound is heard through the stethoscope, it indicates the atherosclerosis.

There are some advance techniques available for the diagnosis of stroke. The carotid/Doppler ultrasonography features the use of high frequency sound waves. In the arteriography, the doctor inserts a flexible, thin tube through the small incision in the groin. Then, a dye is injected through the catheter to provide the x-ray images of the arteries.

In the computerized tomography/CT scan, a dye is injected into the vein. The x-ray beams create the three-dimensional image of the blood vessels present in the neck and brain. It helps to detect the arteriovenous malformations and aneurysms and to evaluate the narrowing of the arteries. The Magnetic Resonance Imaging/MRI scan features the use of strong magnetic field. This is a sensitive test for detection of the area of the brain tissue damaged by the ischemic stroke. The electroencephalogram and evoked response test are performed to detect the brain’s electrical activity. The tests performed to determine the blood flow in the brain are Doppler ultrasound test, carotid phonoangiography and digital subtraction angiography.

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