Providing first aid for stroke. Emergency care for a stroke

It is called a sharp violation of blood circulation in the tissues of the brain, which leads to their death and the loss of the ability of this area to perform its functions. Depending on how large the lesion is and where it is located, both the consequences and the severity of the symptoms will differ.

It lies in the fact that it is not immediately possible to recognize it, as well as in underestimating the seriousness of the situation by the patient. Many people do not go to the doctor or refuse to go to the hospital, while the key to successful rehabilitation is precisely the timely emergency care provided.

In some cases, the lesions are so severe that even with immediate medical intervention, it is not possible to save a person's life. But often the correct first aid for a stroke in the first minutes and hours after an attack allows you to subsequently return a person to a normal life. Knowing what to do with a stroke and how to provide first aid for a stroke before the ambulance arrives will help minimize the dangerous consequences of an attack.

Varieties and the first signs of a stroke

In order to properly provide first aid for a stroke, you need to recognize the symptoms of an incipient attack in time. Stroke can be of two types: ischemic and hemorrhagic. In the first case, the cause is a blockage of the vessel, which causes a cessation of nutrition and the death of a certain area of tissue. It is with ischemic stroke that the right help in the first hours can minimize the consequences.

When there is a rupture of the vessel, which leads to hemorrhage in the tissue. This is the least common, but the most dangerous type, leading to death in more than 90% of cases. Often death occurs almost instantly, and it is not possible to provide any first aid for this type of stroke. In milder cases, disability occurs, the loss of the ability to perform vital functions, such as paralysis. Medical care includes, among other things, surgical intervention, therefore, in the case of a hemorrhagic stroke, it is important to take the person to the hospital as soon as possible.

You can recognize a stroke by the following signs:

When the headache is intense, there is weakness in the body, dizziness, fainting is possible. With a hemorrhagic stroke, the headache is sharp and pronounced, throbbing, the patient reacts painfully to bright light, there are difficulties with breathing and palpitations, paralysis of half of the body and vomiting are characteristic. Help for ischemic stroke is different from the hemorrhagic type, but only a doctor can clearly make a diagnosis.

A universal way to check a person for an attack is the following algorithm of actions:

If you ask a person to smile and stick out their tongue, then one of the halves of the mouth will remain motionless.
Ask for a simple phrase, such as your name. Speech will be slurred, the patient has difficulty in pronunciation.
If you tell the patient to raise two hands up, then most likely only one will rise.

Even if at least one of the symptoms described is manifested, it is urgent to call an ambulance. This is especially true for people who are at risk for this disease:

Pre-medical actions

Calling an ambulance should be the first step in suspecting a stroke. But the medical team cannot immediately appear near the patient, especially if he lives in remote areas, or, conversely, in a metropolis, and the attack happened at rush hour. Therefore, you need to know what to do and provide first aid yourself.

First aid for an ischemic stroke is the following:

Lay the patient in such a way that the body is on a flat surface, and the head is slightly elevated.
Gently rub hands and feet.
Observe the state of breathing.
The head should be turned to the side.

Before the ambulance arrives, you should not try to help with any pills.

For the hemorrhagic type, first aid for a stroke at home is to follow similar recommendations:

Open a window or door to bring fresh air into the room.
Give the body a position similar to the recommendations for ischemic stroke.
Remove jaw prostheses, if any.
Cover the patient with a blanket.
Make sure that the patient does not choke on vomit, remove them in a timely manner.
You can apply a cold towel to the head on the side opposite to the one where the defeat is expected. It must be remembered that if paralysis of the left side of the body occurred, then the right hemisphere of the brain suffered, and vice versa.

The most important thing is to immediately call an ambulance and not leave a person unattended. Beware of giving any medication. Monitor your blood pressure, breathing and heart rate. It will be necessary to do resuscitation during a stroke before the ambulance arrives if the patient is not breathing and the heart has stopped beating.

It is important to ensure free breathing by unbuttoning or removing tight clothing. The safest position is the side lying position. It prevents suffocation from saliva or vomit entering the respiratory tract. This probability occurs if the patient has impaired swallowing function.

Cautions

Since a stroke is a life-threatening disease, it is forbidden to self-treat it at home. The only correct action is to call a doctor.

Only a doctor as a result of the examination will be able to accurately determine the type of stroke. Therefore, it is strictly forbidden to give medicines before his arrival. For each type of attack, drugs are prescribed that are incompatible with the other. Therefore, illiterate treatment will only accelerate the onset of the worst prognosis.

The method of bloodletting, often recommended and popular in the era of undeveloped medicine, should also not be used as first aid for a stroke patient. Because if the vessel breaks, it can even be dangerous.

Also, you can not refuse hospitalization. Before the arrival of the brigade, it is necessary to prepare everything necessary for the hospital. This is a minimum of personal belongings and medical documents of the patient.

Proper first aid for a stroke increases the patient's chances of surviving and recovering. Therefore, in case of any suspicion, it is necessary to contact the doctors, and before their arrival, only maintain the normal moral and physical condition of the person.

From this article you will learn: what should be the first aid for a stroke. Features of emergency measures at home and on the street, depending on the type of stroke.

Article publication date: 11/25/2016

Date of article update: 05/25/2019

First aid measures for a stroke are a set of actions and measures aimed not only at saving the patient's life. The possibility of restoring damaged brain cells and the functional abilities of the nervous system depends on the time and correctness of its provision. According to foreign and domestic experts, the optimal time for delivering a patient to a medical institution is 3 hours from the moment of illness (the sooner the better).

What should be done in case of a stroke in a person in the first place

Wherever the stroke happens and whatever the stroke is, both the patient himself (if the condition allows), and those around him should act according to a clear algorithm:

Do not panic!!!
Assess the general condition of the patient: consciousness, breathing, heartbeat, pressure.
Identify clear signs of a stroke: unilateral paralysis of the arm and leg, distorted face, impaired speech, unconsciousness, convulsions.
Call an ambulance by calling 103!
Find out the circumstances of the illness (if possible, briefly).
Provide resuscitation (artificial respiration, cardiac massage), but only if they are necessary (lack of breathing, heartbeat and dilated pupils).
Correctly lay the patient - on his back or side, either with a slightly raised head and torso, or strictly horizontally.
Provide conditions for good access of oxygen to the lungs and blood circulation throughout the body.
Monitor the patient's condition.
Arrange transportation to the nearest hospital.

The emergency care described above is generalized and does not include some situations that are possible with a stroke. The sequence of events does not always have to be strictly the same as in the above algorithm. In case of critical violations of the patient's condition, it is necessary to act very quickly, performing several actions at the same time. Therefore, whenever possible, 2-3 people should be involved in providing assistance. In any case, following the algorithm, you can save the life of the patient and improve the prognosis for recovery.

Detailed description of all emergency steps

Each event that includes first aid for a stroke requires proper implementation. It is very important to stick to the subtleties, since any "little thing" can be fatal.

No fuss

No matter how difficult the patient's condition is, do not panic and do not fuss. You must act quickly, coherently and consistently. Fear, fuss, haste, unnecessary movements lengthen the time to provide assistance.

Calm down the patient

Every conscious person with a stroke is sure to worry. After all, this disease is sudden, so the stress reaction of the body cannot be avoided. Anxiety will aggravate the condition of the brain. Try to calm the patient, convince him that everything is not so scary, this happens and doctors will definitely help solve the problem.

Call an ambulance

Calling an ambulance is the first priority. Even the slightest suspicion of a stroke is an indication for a call. Experts will better understand the situation.

Call 103, tell the dispatcher what happened and where. This will take no more than a minute. While the ambulance is on the way, you will provide emergency care.

Assess the general condition

First of all, pay attention to:

Consciousness: its complete absence or any degree of stupefaction (lethargy, drowsiness) is a sign of a severe stroke. Mild forms are not accompanied by impaired consciousness.
Respiration: it may be normal, or it may be absent, intermittent, noisy, frequent or infrequent. Artificial respiration can be done only in the complete absence of respiratory movements.
Pulse and heartbeat: they can be heard well, be rapid, arrhythmic or weakened. But only if they are not defined at all, you can do .

Assess the patient's condition and determine the need for cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Identify the signs of a stroke

Stroke patients may have:

severe headache, dizziness (ask what the person is worried about);
short-term or persistent loss of consciousness;
twisted face (ask to smile, bare teeth, stick out tongue);
violation or lack of speech (ask to say something);
weakness, numbness of the arm and leg on one side, or their complete immobility (ask to raise your hands in front of you);
visual impairment;
impaired coordination of movements.

Lack of consciousness or any combination of these signs - a high probability of a stroke.

Correct position of the patient

Regardless of whether the consciousness and general condition of a stroke patient are disturbed or not, he needs rest. Any movement, especially independent movement, is strictly prohibited. The position may be:

It is forbidden to turn a person on his stomach or lower his head below the position of the body!

If there are convulsions

Convulsive syndrome in the form of a strong tension of the whole body or periodic twitching of the limbs is a sign of a severe stroke. What to do with the patient in this case:

Lay on one side with your head turned to prevent saliva and vomit from entering your airways.
If you can, place any object wrapped in cloth between the jaws. It is rarely possible to do this, so do not make great efforts - they will do more harm than good.
Do not try to spread the jaws with your fingers - this is impossible. Better grab the corners of the lower jaw, try to bring it forward.
Do not insert your fingers into the patient's mouth (threat of injury and loss of a finger).
Hold the patient in this position until the seizure ends. Be prepared for the fact that they may repeat.

On the Importance of the Circumstances of the Illness

If possible, find out exactly how the person fell ill. This is very important, as some of the symptoms of a stroke can be observed in other diseases:

traumatic brain injury;
diabetes mellitus;
brain tumors;
poisoning with alcohol or other toxic substances.

Resuscitation: conditions and rules

An extremely severe stroke that affects vital centers, or is accompanied by severe cerebral edema, occurs with signs of clinical death:

complete absence of breathing;
dilated pupils of both eyes (if only one pupil is dilated - a sign of a stroke or hemorrhage in the hemisphere on the side of the lesion);
complete absence of cardiac activity.

Follow these steps:

Lay the person on their back on a hard surface.
Turn your head to one side, use your fingers to free the oral cavity from mucus and foreign objects (prostheses, blood clots).
Tilt your head back well.
Grab the corners of the lower jaw with 2-5 fingers of both hands, pushing it forward, at the same time open the patient's mouth with your thumbs.
Artificial respiration: cover the patient's lips with any tissue, and firmly leaning your lips, take two deep breaths (mouth-to-mouth method).
Heart massage: place your right hand on top of your left (or vice versa) with your fingers interlocked. Putting the lower palm to the junction of the lower and middle part of the sternum of the patient, perform pressure on the chest (about 100 per minute). Every 30 movements should alternate with 2 breaths of artificial respiration.

What medications can be given for a stroke

If an ambulance is called immediately after the onset of a stroke, it is not recommended to give the patient any medication on their own. If delivery to the hospital is delayed, the following drugs help support brain cells at home (preferably in the form of intravenous injections):

Piracetam, Thiocetam, Nootropil;
Actovegin, Cerakson, Cortexin;
Furosemide, Lasix;
L-lysine aescinat.

Self help for stroke

Self-care for stroke is limited. In 80–85%, a stroke occurs suddenly, manifesting itself as a sharp deterioration in the condition or loss of consciousness. Therefore, the sick cannot help themselves. If you experience stroke-like symptoms:

take a horizontal position with a raised head end;
let someone know that you feel bad;
call an ambulance (103);
adhere to strict bed rest, do not worry and do not move unnecessarily;
release the chest and neck from squeezing objects.

Helping yourself with a stroke

If the stroke is ischemic

Ideally, even first aid for a stroke should take into account the type of disease. Ischemic stroke is more likely if:

arose in the morning or at night at rest;
the patient's condition is moderately disturbed, consciousness is preserved;
expressed signs of speech disorders, weakness of the right or left limbs, facial distortion;
no seizures.

Such patients receive first aid according to the classical algorithm described above.

If the stroke is hemorrhagic

Symptoms that speak in favor:

arose sharply at the height of physical or psycho-emotional stress;
there is no consciousness;
have convulsions;
the occipital muscles are tense, it is impossible to bend the head;
high blood pressure.

In addition to standard care, such patients need:

The position is strictly with a raised head end (with the exception of convulsions or resuscitation).
Applying an ice pack to the head (better to the half in which the hemorrhage is supposed to be - opposite to the immobilized tense limbs).

Features of providing assistance on the street

If a stroke happened on the street, first aid has the following features:

Get a few people to help. Organize the actions of each of them, clearly assigning responsibilities (someone calls an ambulance, and someone assesses the general condition, etc.).
After laying the patient in the desired position, free the neck and chest to make it easier for him to breathe (remove the tie, unfasten the buttons, loosen the belt).
Wrap the limbs, cover the person with warm clothes (in cold weather), massage and rub them.
If you have a mobile phone or contacts with relatives, let them know about what happened.

Features of providing assistance at home or in any enclosed space

If the stroke happened indoors (at home, in the office, in a store, etc.), then in addition to the standard first aid, pay attention to:

Free access of fresh air to the patient: open the window, window, door.
Release your chest and neck.
Get your blood pressure checked if possible. If it is elevated (more than 150/90 - 160/100 mm Hg), you can give antihypertensive drugs under the tongue (Captopress, Farmadipine, Metoprolol), slightly press on the solar plexus or on closed eyes. If lowered - raise your legs, but you can not lower your head, massage the area of the carotid arteries on the sides of the neck.

How to give first aid for a stroke indoors

First aid effectiveness and prognosis

According to statistics, correctly provided emergency care to patients with stroke with delivery to a medical institution in the first three hours:

saves the lives of 50-60% of patients with severe massive strokes;
in 75-90% allows people with mild strokes to fully recover;
60-70% improves the regenerative abilities of brain cells in any stroke (better with ischemic).

Remember that a stroke can happen to anyone at any time. Get ready to take the first step in helping fight this disease!

D ohospital exposure is considered one of the main in the normalization of the state in stroke. According to studies, up to 20% of all patients die at the stage before transporting a person to a hospital.

The rest, with untimely or incorrect assistance, risk becoming disabled, with persistent neurological deficits (another 40%).

Primary pre-medical measures at home and on the street acquire a very “creative” character, not even the most complete guide can take into account all the nuances.

Theory is often at odds with practice. Therefore, lists, algorithms are exemplary in nature, indicate the necessary actions and strict prohibitions, which must be followed.

First aid for a stroke before the ambulance arrives does not aim to cure a person and prevent him from being transported to a hospital. Even a doctor in the "field" conditions is not capable of this.

It is required to stabilize the condition, to minimize the risks of death and disability due to lack of outside help. With a competent approach, there is every chance to achieve a solution to the goal, albeit with difficulty.

The classical scheme includes a large group of actions and a slightly smaller number of strict prohibitions. Help for hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke will be the same.

You need to calm down, stabilize the emotional background

Particularly nervous are people who do not have first aid experience or if they have minimal first aid.

A stressful situation leads to confusion of activity, a person fusses, moves a lot, runs, but it's all to no avail, since there is no purposefulness and this is a chaotic work.

This means that the terms of first aid increase, the effectiveness of measures decreases, and the chances of the victim for a favorable outcome and the preservation of the main functions of the central nervous system, and even life, decrease.

call an ambulance

A task of paramount importance at the slightest suspicion of a stroke. You can do very little on your own. When calling, be sure to tell the dispatcher about the alleged diagnosis, briefly and clearly describe the situation.

Downplaying, a person risks making a fatal mistake. Ambulance teams are not fully staffed, and if there are enough staff, there are few cars driving around the city, so doctors are forced to rank and sort cases by urgency.

It is important that the victim is on the priority list, then the brigade will arrive much faster. Otherwise, there is a risk of not waiting for doctors in the future for several hours or even more.

Evaluate objective signs, body functions that play a key role

The cardiovascular system is examined by heart rate (carotid pulse) and pressure level. Both indicators fall against the background of a stroke, or increase slightly and only then “sag” to the minimum levels, because the body is in a stressful state.

Tachypnea (increase) develops more often, decrease, superficiality, inability to listen normally indicate a possible lesion of the respiratory center in the brain stem.

Then there are other signs. Like a deep faint. The simplest reflexes are also necessarily evaluated. Kind of like pupillary reaction to light. Reducing the speed of response is a negative point.

Recognize the objective signs of a stroke

They are represented by neurological deficits of varying severity.

For example, a distortion of the face due to paralysis of the mimic muscles from the opposite side of the lesion, the inability to control the limbs, deep loss of consciousness, speech dysfunction, convulsions.

These are non-specific signs, so it’s impossible to say anything exact right off the bat. Diagnostics is needed in a hospital setting, and then only after the provision of high-quality hospital care.

Related materials:

Signs of a microstroke in and in

Interrogate the patient for complaints

If the person is conscious. On the one hand, this will allow you to better navigate the situation, on the other hand, it will help reduce the time after the arrival of doctors.

They will start asking the same questions and only then will they transport the patient to the hospital. It is better to prevent such an unreasonable waste of time.

Complaints may include headaches, vertigo (the world is spinning before your eyes), nausea, a feeling of goosebumps, numbness of the limbs, the whole body, confusion, weakness, drowsiness, discomfort when swallowing, a sensation of a lump in the throat (not always).

Attention:

It is important to interview the patient as briefly as possible so as not to overload him with information and not force him to think intensively. It can be dangerous in this state.

Provide complete peace of mind

Eliminate exposure to intense noise, light stimuli, talk less with the victim, do not allow him to move.

Lay the patient on their back

The head should be slightly above the level of the body, as well as the torso itself should be raised. This will ensure adequate blood flow to the brain, prevent uneven hemodynamics, when the limbs receive more nutrients and oxygen than cerebral structures.

The posture can be changed if the victim is unconscious. Option two.

Leave in this position and just turn your head slightly to the side. This will prevent aspiration of gastric contents during vomiting, and therefore exclude asphyxia and death.
The second possible option is to lay it on its side. The effect will be about the same. Therefore, the issue is decided at the discretion of the emergency care provider.

The second option is considered safer in terms of preventing aspiration.

soothe the person

The algorithm of actions includes the normalization of the emotional and mental background. A stroke is the heaviest stress from any point of view. Therefore, the normal reaction of the patient is fear, panic.

Possible psychomotor agitation. It is necessary to explain to the patient the essence of the condition, without going into details, to talk about the positive prospects for treatment and the possibility of a full recovery.

Provide a normal supply of fresh air

If the patient is outside, there will be no problems. Indoors, it is worth opening a window or window. This will partially compensate for hypoxia (oxygen starvation of the brain), so as not to provoke further deterioration.

Permanent status monitoring

You need to carefully monitor breathing and heart activity. With the development of deviations, resuscitation measures are carried out. In what way?

Indirect heart massage when it stops (). It is a way to restore the work of a muscular organ.

It is carried out urgently. You need to put an open palm on the center of the chest, on top of the other hand.

Rhythmically push the area to a depth of several centimeters at a speed of 80-100 movements per minute.

Providing urgent assistance is a physically difficult task. Therefore, the ideal option is that every 1-2 minutes a person is replaced by another, who will carry out the same events with fresh forces and so on in a circle.

If medical workers do not arrive within 10 minutes and it is possible to independently transport the victim to the hospital, do not hesitate.

Because with a stroke, the score really goes by minutes. The delay reduces the chances of survival or recovery of higher nervous activity without complications.

Upon the arrival of the doctors, all activities are stopped. It is necessary to briefly describe the situation again in a nutshell. If necessary, the patient is escorted to the hospital.

The list provided is indicative. This is not a rigid algorithm, not a sequence.

In real conditions, sometimes it is necessary to perform several actions at once in order to achieve a result. Therefore, first aid has a considerable share of improvisation.

What not to do

As for the bans, they are tough. It is impossible to break them or the patient will suffer even more. What exactly should be avoided:

The position of the body in which the head is below the level of the body. There will be a catastrophic violation of hemodynamics, critical ischemia will develop. The stroke will get worse. The patient will die.
Any physical activity is excluded. The person should lie down and move as little as possible. Not always a stroke is a critical condition in which the patient lies prone and cannot not only walk, but also speak.

Much depends on the location of destruction, the rate of development and intensity of neurological deficit, general health and resistance to negative factors.

Therefore, it is necessary to strictly monitor any activity and stop it. Spontaneous deterioration is possible with imaginary well-being. Physicians should be aware of the issue.

Emergency care for a stroke excludes the use of any unknown drugs. If a person discussed the possibility of a condition with his doctor, you need to clarify what medications he is taking, whether there are any recommendations on this matter, only then give pills. Insofar as the victim himself cannot drink them for obvious reasons.

Self-employment is strictly excluded. In exceptional cases, you can resort to injections of cerebrovascular drugs, such as Piracetam, Actovegin.

But for this there must be complete confidence that the stroke is not. This means there is no hemorrhage.

And that he is not, so as not to provoke deterioration. It is impossible to understand this by eye, therefore it is definitely not recommended to take risks.

You can not eat, drink a lot of liquid. If consciousness is lost, profuse vomiting will occur, which can lead to aspiration (penetration of masses from the gastrointestinal tract into the respiratory tract).
You can not wash, take a bath, go to the shower. Contrary to a possible idea, a change in temperature does not have a beneficial effect on the vessels. It's stressful for the whole system.

In no case should you rely on your own strength. The task of first aid is to stabilize the condition before the arrival of doctors. It does not replace transportation to a hospital and full resuscitation, hospital care.

If these points are not observed, the first actions in case of a stroke risk becoming the last.

What to do in case of loss of consciousness

Violation indicates a severe stroke condition, severe. Negative prognostic sign.

It is necessary to turn the patient on his side, as already mentioned, or slightly change the position of the head. To prevent vomit from entering the respiratory tract.

Hitting a person on the cheeks, screaming loudly, shaking his shoulders is not only contraindicated, but also stupid from the standpoint of common sense. It is impossible to bring a person out of a faint in this way, but it is quite possible to damage his health.

With the development of loss of consciousness, it is especially important to monitor the state of a person. Assess the heart rate, the safety of normal respiratory activity.

Because cerebral edema, disruption of the trunk and death are likely. At the first deviations, resuscitation is carried out, as far as one's own strength allows.

With convulsions

Painful voluntary muscle spasms occur against the background of damage to the parietal, temporal, frontal lobes of the brain. They are extremely uncomfortable for the patient.

It is impossible to radically influence the state of affairs, the only thing worth recommending, after the paroxysm (attack), when it comes to an end, is to turn the patient's head to the side.

The tongue in hypertonicity cannot fall. And with total relaxation of the muscles - this is quite possible and very dangerous.

Tonic-clonic convulsions, like other abnormalities, develop not only against the background of a stroke.

They are possible with brain tumors, idiopathic, cryptogenic or idle undiagnosed epilepsy, neuroinfections, and injuries.

Therefore, it is impossible to differentiate states on your own. It happens that the reason for the situation is not what others think. Including doctors. Diagnostics required.

Before the arrival of specialists, it is assumed that we are talking about a stroke, since the symptoms are almost indistinguishable.

In cardiac arrest

Asystole is an acute medical emergency. It may well be irreversible, because the chances of recovery are not present in all cases. But sitting idly by is forbidden.

In many situations, unfortunately, we are talking about damage to the brain stem. Not necessarily primary. The focus may be in general in the opposite part of the cerebral structures.

But this is a closed system that exists in extremely cramped conditions. Therefore, intracranial pressure, the amount of liquor increases. This means that the trunk can be indirectly damaged with the development of catastrophic symptoms.

With the destruction of subcortical structures, the chances of "starting" the heart are minimal. There is no stimulation of the work of the muscular organ from the side of the central nervous system. In such a situation, it is almost impossible to help.

The basis of resuscitation is an indirect heart massage (the technique is presented above). In a minute, you need to make about 80-120 movements, the chest is pressed by 5-6 centimeters.

To achieve the effect will have to make a lot of effort. It requires good physical preparation, but quickly exhausts. It is possible that the maximum that a person is enough for is 30-80 seconds.

Many do not have the experience of doing this, therefore, clinical recommendations do not advise resorting to the technique without skill and psychological readiness.

Restoration of cardiac activity can be considered a conditional success. But at any moment, a relapse is likely. It is necessary to carefully monitor the patient.

Action on the street

First aid for a stroke at home requires less effort, because there are additional risks outside the walls. There are not many fundamental differences.

What are we talking about:

Perhaps a violation of well-being, a fall, loss of consciousness in a dangerous place. For example, on a busy unregulated crossing. The person should be transported as quickly as possible away from risks, to safety.
In the cold season, the victim is transferred to the room.
You should loosen the collar, remove body jewelry. To avoid compression of the carotid sinus and carotid artery. Otherwise, there will be an even greater deterioration in the trophism of the brain.
If possible, other people who could temporarily change should be involved in first aid. For example, if you need a heart massage. Perhaps someone will agree to transport the patient to the hospital if the ambulance is late or does not arrive at all.
It is mandatory to call the relatives of the person so that they know about what happened. After the arrival of the ambulance, tell about the movement of the victim to the hospital (hospital number).

First aid for stroke is a difficult task. Performing all the actions correctly is not easy, even with a medical education.

But with proper rendering, the patient has every chance to recover, save life and health. It's about a key moment on a par with the actions of doctors.

- a disease that strikes suddenly. Every year it “gets younger”: more and more often you can meet patients with this diagnosis, who not so long ago crossed the twenty-five-year milestone. Until recently, it was considered a disease of middle age, and cases when they fell ill at the age of about thirty were extremely rare.

Today, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death. However, the consequences of this disease are more terrible, which can last for many years, turning a vigorous, yesterday still completely healthy person into a disabled person who cannot do without outside help.

Mistaking a person with a stroke for a drunk, passers-by go about their business, but knowing the primary signs and responding to the situation in a timely manner, you can save a person’s life and prevent serious complications. The more time passes from the beginning of the attack to the provision of first aid, the more severe the consequences for the body will be.

A stroke occurs when blood stops flowing to a part of the brain due to a blood clot that blocks blood flow and oxygen to the brain. Due to the lack of oxygen, the gradual death of cells begins, which affects the structure of the cerebral cortex and mental activity.

Timely assistance reduces possible irreversible consequences, but not everyone can recognize a stroke, and few know how to properly provide first aid before the ambulance arrives.

Main causes of stroke

Any disease is easier to prevent than to treat. Therefore, you need to be more attentive to your health, undergo a preventive examination. Like any other disease, a stroke has "harbingers" that tell the body that you need to take preventive measures or take treatment.

Reason to see a doctor if:

frequent feeling of weakness, fatigue quickly sets in;
tormented by attacks of a sharp headache;
numbness of the hands is periodically felt;
sudden dizziness;
there are sharp violations of orientation in space;
difficulties with speech, sometimes it is impossible to remember the usual words;
lack of concentration at the right time.

These symptoms do not necessarily mean a stroke is coming. They may indicate circulatory disorders, be associated with vegetovascular dystonia and a number of other diseases:

traumatic brain injury;
diabetes mellitus (diabetic coma);
poisoning with toxic substances or alcohol;
various brain tumors, etc.

In any case, this is an occasion to once again consult a doctor and fully check the state of the body in order to identify violations in its work.

How to recognize a stroke

The first signs that indicate a violation of blood circulation and indicate the likelihood of a stroke:

loss of consciousness or a state of "stupor";
drowsiness or sudden arousal;
heart palpitations and dizziness;
increased sweating, nausea, in some cases vomiting;
possible violation of orientation in space;
visual disturbances, loss of sensation, articulation disorders.

If a stroke is suspected, there is a special technique that allows even a non-specialist to determine the disease by the most common signs.

Ask the patient to extend their arms towards you with palms facing up. With a stroke, one will go down or to the side.
Ask the patient to raise both arms above their head at the same time. In a patient, they will rise at different speeds and to different heights.
Ask to show you the tongue. In the patient, it will be bent or wrapped to the side.
Offer to repeat a simple phrase after you or name yourself. If the speech is like that of a drunk or articulation is impaired, this is a pronounced sign of a stroke.
Ask the patient to smile and show their teeth. A twisted smile, more like a grimace, speaks of a stroke.

The presence of these signs (not necessarily all) is a reason to call emergency care or, if possible, quickly deliver the patient to a doctor.

Priority measures

Regardless of where the patient was struck by a stroke - on a park bench, in a house, in an underpass or on a lawn, the actions of others must obey a strict algorithm that will help reduce the effects of a stroke:

Remain calm yourself and help the patient, if he is conscious, to calm down. Reassure him that nothing bad is happening.
Check the general condition: breathing, pulse, consciousness; if possible, measure the pressure;
Determine the signs of a stroke: the presence of convulsions, facial distortion, speech impairment, etc.
Call an ambulance.
Lay the patient on his back or side, slightly raising his head and torso, or horizontally. Turn your head to the side for signs of nausea.
Prior to the arrival of doctors, provide first aid, if necessary (lack of breathing, dilated pupils, weak heartbeat), perform resuscitation: artificial respiration, chest compressions.
Make sure that there is no lack of oxygen: open a window or window, unfasten the collar of clothes, belt.
Observe the changes taking place in the patient's body.

This is a general algorithm of actions that will reduce the risk of death before the arrival of professional doctors. The first three hours from the beginning of the attack are the most important. The quality of life after recovery depends on the right assistance.

Detailed description of all emergency steps

Each case of stroke may be accompanied by different symptoms. There are two types of stroke: ischemic and hemorrhagic. When providing first aid, it is important to consider the type of disease.

Ischemic stroke:

occurs at night or early in the morning;
the patient is conscious, moderate disturbances;
there are speech disorders, weakness in the limbs on the one hand, there is a distortion of the face;
no convulsive syndrome.

In this case, first aid is provided according to the standard method described above, and has no special features.

Hemorrhagic stroke:

appears abruptly, against the background of physical or emotional overload;
confusion or fainting is noted;
convulsions are present;
strong tension in the muscles of the back of the head, there is no way to move your head;
significant increase in blood pressure.

With a hemorrhagic stroke, it is imperative to lay the head so that it is raised, above the body.

Ice should be applied to the head. It is better if the half in which the hemorrhage occurred is the side opposite to the tense one.

Severe stroke

In severe forms of stroke, cerebral edema can occur, causing fainting, convulsions, dilated pupils, and the absence of a heart rhythm - clear signs of clinical death.

For emergency assistance in this case, you must:

Lay the patient on his back on something hard.
Turn his head to the side, clear his mouth of mucus and remove dentures (if any) from his mouth.
Tilt his head back.
Grab the corners of the lower jaw with both hands, try to push it forward and open the patient's mouth with your thumbs.
Perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation: Cover the patient's lips with a cloth and take two deep breaths.
Indirect cardiac massage: lay your hands on top of each other, connecting your fingers in the lock. Place your lower hand at the junction of the lower and middle part of the sternum, and rhythmically perform about 100 pressures per minute. Every 30 compressions, take 2 breaths of artificial respiration.

You need to continue actions until the arrival of the ambulance brigade.

The use of medicines

In some cases, if the patient is conscious, medications can be used. But only if for some reason it is not possible to quickly deliver the patient to the clinic. It is better if these are intravenous injections of drugs that can support brain cells: piracetam, thiocetam, nootropil, actovegin, cortexin, furosemide, lasix, etc.

What not to do with a stroke

With a stroke, you should not panic in the first place. If you suspect a stroke in yourself based on the initial signs, tell those around you about it. They should immediately call an ambulance.

To reduce the load on the body, you do not need to make unnecessary movements, turn or move the patient.

A stroke attack is always accompanied by powerful neurological symptoms, so a person is completely dependent on doctors. In no case can not hope that "it will pass."

You can not take drugs that have a vasodilating effect - papaverine, drotaverine. The mechanism of their action contributes to the expansion of healthy areas of blood flow, which creates a significant load on already damaged areas and aggravates the situation.

It is not advisable to give food and drink: in case of loss of consciousness, bouts of vomiting often occur, due to which the patient can choke on vomit.

First Aid Effectiveness

According to statistics, with timely first aid and the patient's admission to the clinic in the first three hours after the onset of the disease:

in 50-60% of cases, patients with severe forms of stroke survive;
in 75-90% of cases, patients who have had a mild form of stroke recover completely;
in 60-70% of cases, the abilities of brain cells are completely restored.

Timely and correctly rendered first aid contributes to the fastest recovery of body functions after an illness. A stroke is the case when every minute won from an attack is a chance to preserve certain body functions. Timely stopped damage to brain cells allows you to maximize the quality of life.

Rapid stroke care and proper therapy can not only save a person's life, but also minimize the consequences of an attack, which in the future affects his quality of life. Unfortunately, the consequences of the disease often turn out to be very severe, since the surrounding people do not recognize the disease in time, and the patient does not receive treatment. Therefore, in order to be able to provide first aid in case of impaired cerebral blood flow, it is necessary to study its signs well and find out what actions should be taken.

What to do with a stroke: emergency care and actions

The most common violation of the blood circulation of the brain occurs in people aged 45 years and older. The risk group includes patients with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, arrhythmia and bleeding disorders. Symptoms of a stroke usually include:

headache;
dizziness;
bouts of sudden drowsiness, weakness, or fatigue;
increased blood pressure;
sensation of heat followed by a sensation of cold.

If a person experiences such ailments, one should not delay the time, but consult a doctor who will diagnose and prescribe a course of treatment.

Considering that the effectiveness of therapy depends on how quickly a violation of cerebral blood flow was detected and first aid was provided for a stroke, one should be aware of all the signs of the disease.

If a person has impaired cerebral circulation, he will experience the following symptoms:

Strong headache;
feeling of weakness;
dizziness;
numbness of the limbs on one side;
numbness of half of the face;
twisted face;
sudden loss of balance, often accompanied by nausea or fainting;
deterioration in the quality of speech (there may be a feeling of "porridge in the mouth");
sudden epileptic seizure;
sharp deterioration in vision, double vision;
loss of habitual skills such as reading or writing.

With minimal suspicion of a violation of the blood circulation of the brain, the patient should be asked to undergo a simple test. Ask him to smile, say "thirty-three", stretch his arms forward and freeze in this position for a few seconds. If at least one of the tasks of the patient can not cope, you need to quickly call an ambulance. At the same time, it is necessary to insist that not an ordinary team of doctors come, but a specialized neurological team.

First aid before the ambulance arrives

A stroke is an emergency, so you can not hesitate even a minute. While waiting for the arrival of the ambulance team, which is supposed to deliver the patient to a specialized medical facility, it is required to alleviate the situation of the person by providing first aid.

First you need to check the patient's breathing. Vomiting is considered one of the symptoms of a cerebral hemorrhage, so vomit may interfere with normal breathing. If respiratory disorders are detected, the airways are released - the patient is laid on his side and the oral cavity is cleaned by wrapping his finger in a handkerchief or a piece of gauze.

If there is a tonometer and a glucometer, the patient's pressure is measured and the amount of sugar in the blood is determined. The time of measurements and the results are recorded, and then reported to the visiting team of doctors.

It is very important to know exactly when the patient had a stroke. Having found a person who has signs of a stroke, you need to remember or try to find out who and when last saw the patient in a normal state.

First aid for a stroke does not involve taking medications that lower blood pressure. In the first hours after a failure in the cerebral blood supply, an increased level of pressure is a necessary norm that helps the brain adapt to what has happened.

A person who is suspected of having a stroke should not be fed or watered, as eating food or drinking water can worsen the patient's condition.

If a person, having lost consciousness, fell and ended up on the floor, he can be moved by changing the position of the body. There is an opinion that a person whose blood supply to the brain is impaired is forbidden to move. However, this statement is a myth that does not correspond to reality.

The patient is required to be laid so that his head, as well as the upper body, are in an elevated state. In order to make breathing easier, unfasten clothes or remove the interfering thing. In the room where the patient lies, it is necessary to ensure the flow of air from the street by opening the window or window.

One of the symptoms of impaired cerebral blood flow is an epileptic seizure, in which the patient loses consciousness. A few seconds after the loss of consciousness, the patient begins convulsive muscle contractions throughout the body, lasting several minutes. Convulsive seizures are single or follow one after another. If a person has epileptic seizures, you need to protect him from hitting the floor, walls or furniture with a pillow or other soft thing tucked under his head. The head of a person is held, wiping the foam coming from the mouth with a towel or cloth in order to prevent it from entering the respiratory tract. So that during an attack the patient does not injure himself by biting his tongue, a small stick or other strong oblong object should be inserted between the teeth, wrapped in several layers of cloth.

During a seizure, no attempt is made to hold the limbs of the patient by force or to unclench the fingers that are cramped. These actions can cause an increase in the seizure and the risk of an accidental fracture or dislocation. It is also forbidden to try to bring the patient to consciousness with the help of ammonia, as it can cause respiratory arrest. In addition, if the patient begins to have convulsions, there is a risk of spilling ammonia and causing a chemical burn of tissues.

A person who has epileptic seizures cannot be moved from place to place.

If the patient's pulse ceases to be felt, cardiac arrest occurs and respiratory activity stops, resuscitation procedures immediately begin. Before the arrival of the medical team or the restoration of lung function, the patient is given chest compressions and mouth-to-nose or mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration.

PMP

The arriving ambulance team must transport the patient to a specialized medical institution, where he will be provided with treatment. After a person who has had a hemorrhage is hospitalized, you need to make sure that the doctors have performed all the necessary manipulations. The patient must undergo a computed tomography of the brain. Without a tomography, it is impossible to determine exactly whether the patient had a hemorrhage or not, the type of stroke, and also which parts of the brain were damaged.

Also, patients need to do laboratory tests, in particular, to determine the level of blood oxygen saturation. If a stroke is suspected, a cardiogram is also done and blood pressure is measured.

There are two forms of the disease:

hemorrhagic (considered the most dangerous type of disease, in which there is a serious threat to life), is a hemorrhage in the brain, during which the wall of the artery is torn;
ischemic (the most common form of the disease), in which brain damage occurs due to impaired blood supply, causing a lack of oxygen.

Forms of stroke have similar symptoms and different mechanisms of development, but require different methods of treatment. In the case when, as a result of computed tomography, a hemorrhagic stroke was not detected in a person, it is necessary to carry out magnetic resonance imaging, which, in case of ischemic stroke, allows obtaining the maximum amount of information. If there is time, a more detailed examination of the patient is carried out, an ultrasound scan of the vessels of the brain and angiography are performed. Based on the results of the examination, the patient is assigned a treatment program.

If a person has an ischemic stroke, the patient is prescribed thrombolytic therapy. The emergency method can significantly reduce and even eliminate the consequences of hemorrhage, which significantly increases the possibility of a complete recovery. A patient is given an intravenous drug that dissolves a blood clot blocking a cerebral artery. However, thrombolytic therapy is possible only during the first three hours after the hemorrhage. In addition, this method of treatment can only be used in a specialized medical institution.

The technique used for ischemic stroke can significantly aggravate the condition of a person who has had a hemorrhagic stroke, which often requires surgery to treat.

Knowledge of the first symptoms of impaired cerebral blood supply and the ability to recognize the disease allows timely medical care to be provided to the patient in time. Modern methods of medicine and treatment technologies make it possible to effectively fight the disease, so a person who has had a stroke after rehabilitation has every chance of recovering and returning to a normal lifestyle.