Stroke Information

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You are in: Home > Stroke Information > Your Stroke Journey > Acute Phase > Diagnosis And Tests

Diagnosis And Tests

Initial assessment

Your doctor or consultant will arrange some tests to:

• Find out what caused your stroke
• Confirm your symptoms are definitely due to your stroke
• Find out what kind of stroke you have ahad
• Find out what area of your brain was affected and how severely it was affected
• Identify any contributing factors to your stroke such as heart conditions, blood clotting problems, high blood pressure and diabetes.

The results will help your doctors decide how to proceed with your treatment and which route of care is best for you.

Tests and investigations

Tests that you may need include:

• Brain scans
• Blood tests
• Chest x–ray
• (Carotid) Doppler or Duplex ultrasound scan
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• Echocardiogram (or cardiac ultrasound scan)

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Brain scans

• CT (computed tomography) scan
  A CT scan is recommended for most people presenting with symptoms of a stroke. It identifies what kind of stroke you have had and the extent of damage the stroke may have caused. It is also used to exclude other types of illness that have similar symptoms to stroke. Ideally a CT scan should be done immediately on presentation / within 48 hours and certainly within 7 days of having a stroke.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan
  This is another type of brain scan which gives a different picture to a CT scan. It is often used for people whose symptoms indicate either a small stroke or those who present later than 7 days.

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Blood tests

These can be used to check for certain conditions that may have contributed to your stroke, such as diabetes or problems with blood clotting.

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Chest x–ray

This looks for underlying conditions such as heart or chest complaints that may have contributed to the stroke.

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(Carotid) doppler or duplex ultrasound scan

This scan is used to find out whether narrowing in the carotid arteries (blood vessels in the neck) caused a stroke. This is necessary prior to carotid surgery.

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Electrocardiogram (ECG)

This test measures the rhythm and activity of your heart. Irregular heart rhythms can cause strokes and need to be treated.

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Echocardiogram (or cardiac ultrasound scan)

This may be used to look for any heart problems that may have contributed to your stroke.

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