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Adult Medical Emergency Handbook - Scottish Intensive Care Society

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STROKE DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS: CONDITIONS WHICH MAY<br />

MIMIC OR BE MIS-DIAGNOSED AS STROKE<br />

Toxi-metabolic derangements<br />

• Hypoglycaemia<br />

• Alcohol intoxication<br />

• Drugs e.g. tricyclic antidepressants<br />

• Hyponatraemia<br />

Other CNS disease<br />

• Meningitis/encephalitis<br />

• Subarachnoid haemorrhage<br />

• Sub-dural haematoma<br />

• Todd’s paresis<br />

• Tumour<br />

• Cerebral vasculitis<br />

• All patients with stroke who have not been admitted to the stroke<br />

units should be notified to Professor Dennis or Dr Keir (WGH) or<br />

Drs Hart, Mead, Chapman or Coull ext 26927 (RIE) or Drs Ramsay<br />

or Jackson via Stroke Unit ext. 54104 or Stroke Liaison Nurse on<br />

page 3986 (SJH) as early as possible.<br />

• Once a cerebral haemorrhage has been excluded (by CT brain),<br />

aspirin should be initiated immediately at a dose of 300mg<br />

daily & continued at this dose for 14 days then reduced to<br />

75mg maintenance treatment. If patient cannot swallow give by<br />

suppository. After that 75mg per day should be given (minimise GI<br />

side effects).<br />

• Contact Stroke Registrar or Consultant via appropriate<br />

switchboard.<br />

• If already on aspirin leave on aspirin until CT result known.<br />

• For patients with ischaemic stroke dipyridamole MR 200mg daily<br />

should be given in addition to aspirin.<br />

• If the total cholesterol is greater than 3.5mmol/l start patient on<br />

simvastatin 40 mg nocte or atorvastatin (consider pravastatin if on<br />

warfarin and digoxin). See Lothian lipid guidelines.<br />

• Antihypertensive medication may be continued if the patient is<br />

able to swallow.<br />

• New antihypertensive medication should not be initiated within<br />

the first week of an acute stroke unless there is accelerated phase<br />

hypertension.<br />

134 adult medical emergencies handbook | NHS LOTHIAN: UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS DIVISION | 2009/11

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