Stroke while walking

Hanoi: A 55-year-old man was walking down the street when he suddenly felt dizzy and fell, paralyzed on the right side, unable to speak, and was diagnosed with a stroke.

At Duc Giang General Hospital, the patient was admitted to the emergency room with a crooked mouth, a CT scan of the brain diagnosed a first-hour cerebral infarction. The patient had a history of acute pancreatitis and frequent alcohol use.

On May 30, Dr. Nguyen Van Hoc, Head of the Emergency Department, informed that the man was given intravenous thrombolytic drugs (fibrinolytics) combined with blood pressure and blood sugar control. After about an hour, he was able to move his arms and legs. The next day, the patient moved, walked, and talked normally, with almost no sequelae.

The patient said he was walking on the street, showing no signs of anything unusual, suddenly fell and was taken to the hospital by locals.

Stroke can be fatal if not treated promptly. Photo: Freepik — Stroke can be fatal if not treated promptly. Photo: *Freepik*

There are two types of stroke: infarction and hemorrhage. Infarction accounts for 85%. Hemorrhage accounts for 15% but has more serious complications and a high mortality rate.

If not treated promptly, patients with cerebral infarction will quickly fall into a coma and stop breathing. Thrombolytic therapy dissolves blood clots (causing cerebral vascular occlusion) without the need for surgery or intervention. However, thrombolytic drugs are only effective for patients within the first 4.5 hours of symptom onset.

"Like the patient above, the time from when he was admitted to the emergency room to when he was given thrombolytic drugs to reopen the blood vessels was 45 minutes, so there were no sequelae," the doctor said.

To recognize the signs of a stroke, remember the word FAST:

- Face: ask the patient to smile or show teeth, one side does not move.

- Arm: one arm is weaker than the other when the patient raises both arms.

- Speech: slurred speech, inappropriate words, or silence.

- Time: If you suspect you have one of the above symptoms, call 115 immediately and note the time the symptoms first appeared.

Doctors recommend that when a relative shows signs of acute myocardial infarction (chest pain, shortness of breath) or stroke (mouth distortion, difficulty walking, weakness, speech and perception disorders), they should be quickly taken to the nearest medical facility with neurology and cardiology specialists for timely intervention and emergency care.

Minh An

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