Treatment for a hemorrhagic stroke attempts to stop bleeding and to minimize pressure on the brain. Below are medicines and surgery which are effective in how to treat a hemorrhagic stroke.
If the patient already takes drugs to prevent blood clots such as warfarin or clopidogrel, they could be given blood product transfusions to neutralize the effects.
Other drugs that may be used are to reduce vasospasm, stop seizures and low blood pressure. Patients who have suffered from a hemorrhagic stroke cannot be given clot busting drugs such as TPA and aspirin as they would increase the bleeding.
When the bleeding stops, the next step is for the patient to get rest while the blood is absorbed from the body. If the bleeding is too much, then surgery could be used to remove the blood so pressure on the brain is reduced.
Surgery
Blood vessel surgery may be carried out if there were problems when the patient had the hemorrhagic stroke. The patient may be given the procedures below:
- Arteriovenous malformation removal (AVM) – Usually a small AVM is easier to remove due to being more reachable than a larger AVM. This can reduce the risk of a ruptured artery.
- Aneurysm clipping – A clamp is attached at the bottom of the aneurysm which stops blood flow entering. This prevents the aneurysm from bursting and bleeding again.
- Aneurysm embolization –A catheter is used to place a small coil in to the aneurysm. A blood clot can then form and close off the aneurysm.