A hospital stay after a mini-stroke (transient ischemic attack or TIA) is typically short, often lasting from a few hours to 24–48 hours for observation and evaluation, though some patients may stay up to 2–6 days if they are at high risk. While symptoms disappear within 24 hours,, hospital monitoring is crucial to determine the cause and prevent a major stroke.
First Few Weeks After a Stroke. The typical length of a hospital stay after a stroke is five to seven days. During this time, the stroke care team will evaluate the effects of the stroke, which will determine the rehabilitation plan.
In the emergency department there is no traditional “treatment” for a mini stroke, unlike with a regular stroke, because patients are usually better by the time they get to the hospital. However, patients need to get a proper evaluation from a neurologist and CT or MRI imaging to understand why the TIA happened.
Persons who experience mild stroke typically have a short hospital stay and will show symptoms of stroke that last longer than a day. Most likely the symptoms will go away after a short period. If the symptoms of stroke last <24 hours, this is usually called a transient ischemic attack.
Most people recover quickly from a transient ischemic attack, with effects typically lasting from a few minutes to a few hours, resolving within 24 hours. With that said, symptoms of a mini-stroke can persist for weeks or months. In some cases, short-term treatments may not be sufficient.
Despite not causing permanent damage, mini stroke symptoms are serious and may include: Sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body. Sudden confusion. Difficulty speaking.
Factors that you can control account for 82% to 90% of all strokes:
A neurologist will monitor progress, adjust medications, recommend imaging and lab tests, and help patients and their families understand the impact of the stroke and the recovery process. Stroke survivors often face cognitive, emotional, and physical challenges, all of which neurologists are trained to manage.
Aspirin and other antiplatelet medicines
Antiplatelet medicines work by reducing the ability of platelets to stick together and form blood clots. You may also be given other antiplatelet medicines, such as clopidogrel or dipyridamole.
If doctors are not sure what caused your symptoms, you may have a magnetic resonance imaging scan (MRI). This can rule out other causes of the symptoms, such as bleeds or abnormalities in the brain. An MRI can sometimes show the site of the TIA, especially if it's done soon after it happens.
What Not to Do After a Mini Stroke:
The main treatment for an ischemic stroke is a medicine called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). It breaks up the blood clots that block blood flow to your brain. A healthcare provider will inject tPA into a vein in your arm. This type of medicine must be given within 3 hours after stroke symptoms start.
With a stroke, symptoms tend to persist. In a TIA, however, the symptoms usually resolve within 20 to 30 minutes, though they can last up to 24 hours. “Sometimes, a person will have transient symptoms like a TIA, but when we perform a brain scan, such as an MRI, we can see signs of a stroke,” adds Dr. Matmati.
TIAs are often over very quickly, so you may not have any symptoms by the time you see a doctor. If they suspect you've had a TIA, you'll be given aspirin to take straight away to prevent a stroke, unless there's a medical reason why you cannot take aspirin. You'll also be referred to a specialist for further tests.
Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) are often incorrectly called “mini-strokes,” but they're every bit as serious as a true stroke. Having a TIA often means you could have a stroke in the very near future. A TIA is a medical emergency you shouldn't ignore.
Complications of TIA – also referred to as “mini-strokes” – may include:
You do not need to be admitted to hospital because of a TIA, but this is often done because of the absence of an alternative. Many TIA clinics now offer a “one-stop” service for which the patient is assessed, investigated (or investigated before the appointment), and given results at the same session.
After a suspected TIA, you will normally be advised to have several tests including:
Getting treatment for a stroke
In the first 24 hours after a stroke, your treatment may include: medicine to get rid of blood clots in the brain (thrombolysis) surgery to remove a blood clot (thrombectomy) or drain fluid from the brain. a procedure to stop pressure building up inside the skull or brain.
To diagnose a TIA, doctors may use imaging tests to look at your brain, blood vessels and possibly your heart. These tests can help rule out stroke as a cause of your symptoms. They can also help your doctor determine the location of any blockage or bleeding or where a blood clot may have come from.
To treat an ischemic stroke, blood flow must quickly be restored to the brain. This may be done with: Emergency IV medicine. An IV medicine that can break up a clot has to be given within 4.5 hours from when symptoms began.
So in certain cases, your provider may do a mental health screening before or after a neurological exam. A neurological examination typically assesses movement, sensation, hearing and speech, vision, coordination, and balance. It may also test mental status, mood, and behavior.
If the person researches what causes mini-strokes, they will discover that 90 percent are caused by plaque-filled blood vessels blocking the blood flow to the brain or by a blood clot that travels from other parts of your body — like the heart — to the brain.
Blood tests for stroke. There is no blood test that can diagnose a stroke. However, in the hospital, your doctor or nurse may do a series of blood tests to learn the cause of your stroke symptoms: Complete blood count (CBC).
The majority of strokes occur in people who are 65 or older. As many as 10% of people in the U.S. who experience a stroke are younger than 45. How do the symptoms of stroke in young people differ from those in the older age group?