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MAYBE
you’ve heard the phrase “Time lost is
brain lost.” That simple sentence says a lot about the
need to treat stroke as an emergency.
The longer you wait to seek help for a
stroke, the greater the likelihood of damage
to the brain—damage that can lead to
long-term disability or even death. If you act quickly,
however, treatment can often stop a stroke and help you
or a loved one avoid the devastating consequences of
this sudden event. Knowing what happens inside the
brain during a stroke is key to understanding why all of
this is true.
I S C H E M I C
H E M O R R H A G I C
O F A S T R O K E
Why emergency treatment is vital
Anatomy
Thrombotic stroke:
A blood
vessel leading to the brain is
blocked, usually by a blood clot
(thrombus). Clots can form in
arteries narrowed by plaque.
Embolic stroke:
A blood clot
or other substance (embolus)
travels to the brain from
other parts of the body, such
as the heart.
Subarachnoid hemorrhage:
A section of blood vessel
weakens, balloons and then
ruptures. Blood fills the space
between the brain and skull.
Intracerebral hemorrhage:
A blood vessel weakened by
age or disease can break—
spilling blood deep into the
brain.
Check out the
sidebar at the
top of page 9.
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Coffey infographic with information from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
P R I M A R Y
S T R O K E
C E R T I F I C A T I O N
A W A R D E D
T O S H A R O N
H O S P I T A L