Treatment for Acute Cerebral Infraction – Deep Vein Thrombolysis

Deep vein thrombolysis that can change the life of cerebral infarction patient

Stroke is a cerebrovascular disease that can be divided into cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarction. Although many cures have been developed thanks to medical advancement, these diseases are the main reason for death and injuries around the world. In Korea, cerebral hemorrhage outnumbered among strokes, but cerebral infarction is becoming more frequent, as it is in many advanced countries, due to the advancements in diagnosis, and the use of antihypertensive drugs.

If a family member suffers from cerebral infarction, the patient’s pain is without a doubt the most severe, but in the long run, it gives financial burden the whole family and the society, which in turn agonizes the patient. For example, the pain caused from cerebral infarction played a big role in the occurrence of the subway disaster. 

To prevent strokes by regular checkups for high blood pressure, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and homocysteine, all of which are important factors of stroke. However, not everybody can realistically run away from the danger of stroke. Once damaged and dead, brain organs cannot regenerate themselves unlike other organs. This can easily be pictured if one thinks of an occasion in which the skin gets cut and the organs underneath the skin has to be exposed to the outer air. Therefore if brain organs are severely damaged and ultimately die, not only can one die from such damage, but one has to live with disabilities such as speech impediment or paralysis, even if one avoids death. Although the study to cell transplantation, as a part of stem cell research, has been active, this technique cannot be applied in real life in near future. Fortunately, there has been a great advancement in medical techniques that can be applied to cure strokes, especially cerebral infarction.

Such is deep vein thrombolysis, which literally indicates the cure by melting blood clots that are blocking blood vessels.  Although brain organs cannot be regenerated, the damages caused by cerebral infarction only occur after a certain point. Therefore, in order to receive deep vein thrombolysis, the elapsed time from the occurrence of cerebral infarction to the arrival at the hospital is important. This is the same understanding that if a person is saved from water he or she can only be saved by CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) after a certain period of time. There have been a lot of studies on the elapsed time, but it is understood that within 3 hours shows the best effect, and the treatment can also be applied if the patient arrives within 6 hours. Among those who arrive within 3 hours, those who arrived within 90 minutes showed better development; the faster the patient arrives, the more effective the treatment is. There has been a great advancement in medicines used for deep vein thrombolysis, and just like people get nutritional shots at ER, medicines for deep vein thrombolysis can also be taken as a shot through vein. That is, even after the patient arrives at the hospital, even more time can be saved in order to save a life. Even if a person is believed to have cerebral infarction, and has checked into a hospital in a short time, some can’t be treated with deep vein thrombolysis due to natural reperfusion or possibility of bleeding of brain or other organs. 

To summarize, if a person suffers from sudden side paralysis, side paresthesia, or pronunciation disorder, one should not waste time with folk remedy, but rather arrive at the hospital that offer deep vein thrombolysis at the earliest. After the arrival, one should get diagnosis from a neurology doctor to confirm that it is a stroke, and if it is a stroke, whether this is cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage. If the patient can receive deep vein thrombolysis, he or she can receive it in a short period of time. Currently, at Gil Hospital, depending on the conditions of cerebral infarction patient, inter-arterial thrombolysis is also possible thanks to the relationship with neurology department.

Source: http://www.gilhospital.com/information/column/column_board_view.html?board=gil_profcolumn&page=7&seq=270&s_title=&s_text=