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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
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Children's Health |
Children who are victims of stokes01/19/2000 |
what causes stokes in children, i.e age two. what kind of treatment was available during the periods of 1946- 50`s? Has the medical profession advanced in how we treat children who are victims of stokes today?
Strokes are quite rare in children as compared to adults, and can be caused by a variety of conditions. In general, strokes are caused by damage and death of brain tissue resulting from decreased oxygen flow to a particular area of the brain. Oxygen flow is impeded by either occlusion of blood vessels supplying the brain, or by rupture of blood vessels resulting in hemorrhage. Treatment has improved dramatically in the past decades not only with improved pharmacologic management of children at increased risk of stroke, but also with better imaging. Refined magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques have resulted in safer and more accessable evaluation of children with stroke. Physical rehabilitation remains a mainstay of treatment in improving the function of children who have experienced strokes. The more common causes of stroke are as follow:1. Congenital Heart Disease. A poorly functioning heart or damaged heart valves can result in the passage of clots from the heart to the brain. Surgery is often needed to correct the problem, and anticoagulants such as heparin can be beneficial in preventing clot formation.
2. Sickle Cell Disease can result in blockage of blood flow in the brain. Adequate oxygenation and hydration are important. Anticoagulants may be beneficial.
3. Vasculitis, or inflammed blood vessels, can be caused by a variety of diseases, lupus being the most common. Immunosuppressant therapy can be used for treatment.
4. Head trauma can also cause vessel damage, resulting in bleeding or clotting in the brain.
5. Hypercoagulable states in which the blood is more prone to clotting can lead to strokes. Treatment is directed towards the specific clotting disorder.
6. Brain infection, such as meningitis, can result in vessel inflammation and clotting. Treatment involves appropriate antibiotics.
7. Inherited lipid disorders resulting in high cholesterol levels in the blood can result in early development of atherosclerosis and increase risk of stroke.
8. Certain inherited metabolic disorders, such as homocystinuria, can result in vessel damage and increase risk of stroke.
This list is certainly not exhaustive, but covers the more prevalent causes of stroke in children. Please feel free to contact us with further questions you might have.
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Robert Blount, MD Resident Division of General Internal Medicine Department of Internal Medicine College of Medicine University of Cincinnati |
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