Ischemic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked and blood flow is stopped. The blockage may be from a blood clot.
A clot that forms in an artery is called a thrombus. A clot that forms in the heart or an artery leading to the brain is an embolus.
In ischemic stroke, the clot travels to the brain and blocks a brain artery. Oxygen is then reduced or completely cut off to that part of the brain.
Ischemic stroke has many different causes. The doctor must find the cause of the stroke to know what treatment is best for you.
Below is a list of the complications that may cause ischemic stroke:
The blood clot-dissolving drug tPA can be given intravenously, within four-and-a-half hours after the first sign of symptoms of an Ischemic stroke.
Intra-arterial tPA or mechanical thrombectomy — advanced treatments available at the UPMC Stroke Institute — can be administered to select patients within eight to ten hours after symptoms begin.
Learn more about stroke treatments at the UPMC Stroke Institute. »
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