Experiencing stroke is far from a simple medical dilemma. It’s a debilitating condition that can lead to constant anxiety about a person’s life. After experiencing the first stroke, a person will have a much greater chance of experiencing it again, with much greater severity than before. For this reason, it’s vital to get an accurate diagnosis to remain vigilant when an instance of stroke occurs. Thankfully, medical imaging equipment can help physicians identify these warning signs to save a patient’s life.
An Overview of Stroke and Medical Imaging Equipment
A stroke occurs when a person experience’s complications with blood delivery, usually in sending oxygen to the brain or heart. This is why part of the body shuts down due to compromised blood vessels.
Hemorrhagic strokes are signified by the bursting of blood vessels leading to internal bleeding in the brain. In contrast, ischemic strokes lead to restricted oxygen delivery. Each kind of stroke has specific identifiers which can be detected through a person’s medical history or physiology.
A stroke is a medical emergency that demands immediate treatment, but not all strokes are treated similarly. This is why it’s vital to identify what kind of stroke a person has. It’s a situation that calls for effective medical tools, namely Computerized Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scanners (MRI).
A CT Scanner’s Role in Detecting Stroke
CT scans generate multiple images through various angles to detect potential complications in the brain, like blood clots or tumors. This makes it a great tool in identifying issues with dead tissues or compromised blood flow.
Doctors regularly request CT scans to confirm strokes since they’re available at hospitals at most hours of the day. Additionally, CT scans provide test images much sooner than most medical, diagnostic, and scanning tools.
Using a CT scan is necessary to confirm a diagnosis of hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke. This is done by eliminating potential abnormalities that mimic stroke-like symptoms. Additionally, these irregularities can show up on a CT scan up to eight hours after the onset signs of a stroke.
An MRI Scanner’s Role in Detecting Stroke
MRI scans use a combination of magnetic fields and radiofrequency pulses to detect potential changes in the brain. Similar to CT scans, an MRI scan takes a deep look inside a patient’s brain through X-rays. In contrast to a CT scan, this process takes just a few hours before getting clear images that show blockages in blood flow within an hour after the onset signs of a stroke.
MRI scans are typically more accurate than CT scans since they’re more sensitive machines. However, it also has the drawback of taking much longer than a CT scan. Although it’s excellent at getting detailed images of a patient’s head, it may not be the ideal choice during emergencies. Additionally, using magnetic fields for scanning is incompatible for patients with pacemakers or shrapnel moves.
Besides this technical issue, some patients may experience claustrophobia during the scanning process. This is why it’s vital to get a patient’s accurate medical history before any scanning procedure.
Conclusion
Utilizing medical imaging equipment is an important advantage for doctors to diagnose a wide range of medical conditions. Besides detecting stroke, they can look at other symptoms that could signify more severe underlying conditions. Through early detection, it’s possible to make necessary pre-emptive treatments. This is why it’s always essential to have efficient and accurate images in MRI and CT scans.
Like any diagnostic tool, robust medical imaging equipment like MRI and CT scanners can experience system failure due to hardware or software problems. This is why it’s vital to perform check-ups and replacements when necessary. If your MRI or CT scanner is acting up, contact our team at Direct Med Parts, and our technicians will assist you immediately.
