The process of diagnosing a stroke involves several steps:
- confirming that the problem is stroke (eliminating
the possibility of another medical condition that
has similar symptoms)
- determining the type of stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic)
- determining the location and severity of the stroke
Many other disease processes can mimic stroke, such
as brain tumors, infections (meningitis), head injury
and hypoglycemia. The faster the diagnosis, the faster
a stroke patient can be treated and damage prevented
or minimized.
Pinpoint accuracy is key. Depending on the type of
stroke — ischemic or hemorrhagic — and its
location and severity, the appropriate treatment can
be quite different. In fact, treating an ischemic stroke
as though it were hemorrhagic or vice versa could have
life-threatening consequences.
A variety of methods are used in the diagnostic process.
They range from information-gathering interviews at
the scene of the stroke to sophisticated three-dimensional
computerized technology.
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Diagnosis
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