From this article you will learn: what should be the first aid for a stroke. Features of emergency measures at home and in the street, depending on the type of stroke.
Content of the article:
- Algorithm: what to do when a person has a stroke in the first place
- A detailed description of all the emergency steps
- Nuances of care for ischemic stroke
- Nuances of care for hemorrhagic stroke
- Features of assisting in the street
- Features of assistance at home or in anyFirst-aid effectiveness and prognosis
First-aid measures for stroke are a set of actions and activities aimed not only at saving the patient's life. The time and correctness of its rendering depends on the possibility of restoring damaged brain cells and functional abilities of the nervous system. According to foreign and domestic experts, the optimal time for delivery of the patient to a medical institution is 3 hours from the moment of the disease( the earlier, the better).
What you need to do in case of a stroke in a person first of all
Wherever it happened and whatever the stroke was - and the patient himself( if the condition allows), and the surrounding should act according to a clear algorithm:
- Do not panic! !!
- Evaluate the general condition of the patient: consciousness, breathing, palpitations, pressure.
- Identify the obvious signs of a stroke: unilateral paralysis of the arm and leg, skewed face, speech impairment, lack of consciousness, convulsions.
- Call an ambulance on the phone number 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, palpitations and wide pupils).
- Correctly lay the patient - on the back or side, or with a slightly raised head and trunk, or strictly horizontally.
- Provide the conditions for good oxygen access to the lungs and blood circulation throughout the body.
- Keep track of the patient's condition.
- Arrange transportation to the nearest hospital.
The emergency care described above is generalized and does not include some situations that may occur with stroke. The sequence of events does not always have to be strictly the same as in the above algorithm. In case of critical disorders, the patient has to act very quickly, performing several actions simultaneously. Therefore, to help if possible, you need to involve 2-3 people. In any case, following the algorithm, you can save the patient's life and improve the recovery forecast.
Detailed description of all emergency steps
Each activity that includes first aid for stroke requires proper execution. It is very important to stick to the subtleties, since any "small" can be fatal.
Without the hassle of
No matter how difficult the patient's condition, do not panic or fuss. You must act quickly, smoothly and consistently. Fear, bustle, haste, extra movements lengthen the time of rendering assistance.
Calm the patient
Every person with a stroke in the mind is necessarily worried. After all, this disease is sudden, so the stressful reaction of the body can not be avoided. Excitement will aggravate the state of the brain. Try to calm the patient, convince him that everything is not so scary, this happens and the doctors will help to solve the problem.
Call an ambulance
Calling an ambulance is a priority. Even the slightest suspicion of a stroke is an indication for a call. Specialists will better understand the situation.
Call 103, tell the dispatcher what happened and where. It will take no more than a minute. While the ambulance will be on the way, you will provide emergency assistance.
Estimate the general state of
First of all, pay attention to:
- Consciousness: its complete absence or any degree of obscuration( inhibition, drowsiness) is a sign of a severe stroke. Light forms are not accompanied by a violation of consciousness.
- Breathing: it can be undisturbed, and may be absent, be intermittent, noisy, frequent or rare. You can do artificial respiration only in the absence of respiratory movements.
- Pulse and heartbeat: they can be well audible, be rapid, arrhythmic or weakened. But only if they are not determined at all, you can do an indirect heart massage.
Assess the patient's condition and determine the need for cardiopulmonary resuscitation Identify the signs of a stroke
Patients with a stroke can have:
- severe headache, dizziness( ask what a person is worried about);
- short-term or persistent unconsciousness;
- skewed face( ask to smile, grin your teeth, stick out your 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 them to raise their hands in front of them);
- vision impairment;
- movement coordination disorder.
Lack of consciousness or any combination of these signs is a high probability of a stroke.
Correct position of the patient
Regardless of whether the patient's consciousness and general condition is disturbed or not disturbed by the stroke, he needs rest. Any movement, especially independent movement, is strictly prohibited. The situation can be:
- On the back with a raised head and chest - with a saved consciousness.
- Horizontally on the side with the head turned to the side - in the absence of consciousness, vomiting, convulsions.
- Horizontally on the back with a slightly tilted or turned head to the side - during transportation and resuscitation.
Correct position of the patient in the absence of consciousness It is forbidden to turn a person on the stomach or lower the head below the body position!
If there are convulsions
Convulsive syndrome in the form of strong body strain 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 so that saliva and vomit do not get into the respiratory tract.
- If possible, place between the jaws any object wrapped in a cloth. This is rarely done, so do not make great efforts - they will do more harm than good.
Do not try to spread your jaws with your fingers - it's impossible. It is better to grasp the corners of the lower jaw, try to bring it forward.
Do not put your fingers in the patient's mouth( the risk of injury and finger loss). - Hold the patient in this position until the end of the seizures. Be prepared for the fact that they can happen again.
On the importance of the circumstances of the disease
If there is an opportunity to find out exactly how the person fell ill. This is very important, since some symptoms of a stroke can be observed in other diseases:
- head injury;
- diabetes mellitus;
- brain tumors;
- poisoning with alcohol or other toxic substances.
Resuscitation: conditions and rules for
An extremely severe stroke affecting vital centers, or accompanied by severe brain edema, proceeds with signs of clinical death:
- complete absence of breath;
- by dilating the pupils of both eyes( if only one pupil is enlarged - a sign of a stroke or hemorrhage in the hemisphere on the side of the lesion);
- complete absence of cardiac activity.
Perform these steps:
- Place the person on your back on a hard surface.
- Turn your head to one side, use your fingers to free the mouth from mucus, and foreign objects( dentures, blood clots).
- Throw your head well.
- Grab 2-5 fingers of both hands angles of the lower jaw, pushing it forward, simultaneously with your thumbs open the mouth of the patient.
- Artificial respiration: cover the patient's lips with any cloth, and leaning his lips tightly, perform two deep breaths( mouth-to-mouth method).
- Heart massage: lay your right hand on the left( or vice versa), connecting your fingers to the lock. Applying the lower palm to the point of connection 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 medicines can be given with a stroke
If an ambulance is called immediately after the onset of a stroke, it is not recommended to give any medication to the patient on their own. If delivery to the hospital is delayed, support the brain cells at home help such drugs( preferably in the form of intravenous injections):
- Pyracetam, Thiocetam, Nootropil;
- Actovegin, Ceraxon, Cortexin;
- Furosemide, Lasix;
- L-lysine escinate.
Self-help for stroke
The possibility of helping yourself with stroke is limited. In 80-85% of the stroke occurs suddenly, manifesting a sharp deterioration in the state or loss of consciousness. Therefore, patients can not help themselves. If you feel symptoms resembling a stroke:
- take a horizontal position with a raised head end;
- tell someone that you feel bad;
- call an ambulance( 103);
- adhere to strict bed rest, do not worry and do not move too much;
- , free the chest and neck from compressive objects.
Self-help for stroke If ischemic stroke is
Ideally even first aid for stroke should take into account the type of illness. The most likely is ischemic stroke if:
- occurred in the morning or at night at rest;
- the patient's condition is disturbed moderately, consciousness is preserved;
- expressed signs of speech impairment, weakness of the right or left extremities, skewed face;
- no cramps.
To such patients, first aid is provided by the classical algorithm described above.
If the stroke is hemorrhagic
Symptoms that favor a hemorrhagic stroke:
- arose sharply at the height of the physical or psychoemotional load;
- is unconscious;
- has seizures;
- strained nape of the muscles, it is impossible to bend the head;
- high blood pressure.
In addition to standard care, such patients need:
- The position is strictly with an elevated head end( with the exception of convulsions or resuscitation).
- Apply a bladder with ice to the head( preferably to the half in which the alleged hemorrhage is the opposite to the immobilized strained limbs).
Features of assistance on the street
If the stroke happened on the street, first aid has such features:
- Bring several people to help. Organize the actions of each of them, clearly assigning responsibilities( someone calls an ambulance, and someone evaluates the general condition, etc.).
- After placing the patient in the desired position, release the neck and thorax so that it is easier to breathe( remove the tie, unbutton the buttons, loosen the strap).
- Wrap the limbs, cover the person with warm clothes( in the cold time), massage and rub them.
- If there is a mobile phone or contacts with relatives, inform them about what happened.
Features of care at home or in any closed room
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 to fresh air to the patient: open the window, window, door.
- Empty the chest and neck.
- Measure blood pressure if possible. If it is increased( more than 150/90 - 160/100 mm Hg) you can give antihypertensive drugs under the tongue( Kaptopress, Pharmadipin, Metoprolol), lightly press on the solar plexus or on the closed eyes. If lowered - raise your legs, but you can not lower your head, massage the area of carotid arteries along the sides of the neck.
How to provide first aid for stroke indoors Efficiency of first aid and prognosis
Statistically correctly provided emergency care for patients with stroke with delivery to the hospital in the first three hours:
- saves the lives of 50-60% of patients with severe massive strokes;
- in 75-90% allows full recovery of people with minor strokes;
- improves the recovery ability of brain cells by 60-70% for any stroke( better with ischemic).
Remember that a stroke can happen to every person at any time. Be ready to take the first step of helping to fight this disease!
