Emergency medical attention should be obtained (e.g., by calling 9-1-1) for anyone experiencing signs or symptoms of a stroke. Aspirin should not be used by people who may have suffered a stroke because aspirin can worsen symptoms of a hemorrhagic stroke (stroke due to bleeding in or around the brain). Patients who have experienced a stroke will most likely be taken to a nearby hospital.

Upon arriving at a hospital, medical staff will attempt to stabilize the patient using information obtained from an emergency computed axial tomography (CAT) scan of the patient.

The focus of immediate care for patients who have suffered a stroke is to re-establish blood flow to the brain. However, when blood flow is restored (reperfusion) to the affected area of the brain, there is the risk that additional damage may occur. Returning blood carries white blood cells that may create a blockage in small blood vessels and may release toxins harmful to brain cells. Nevertheless, brain cells deprived of oxygen can die within minutes, causing long–term disability or death. Thus, re-establishing blood flow is a critical first step in emergency treatment of a person who has had a stroke.

Additional treatment methods that may be used for people who have had a stroke include:

• Aid breathing. Maintaining breathing in patients who may be losing consciousness may be done through the use of breathing equipment and/or supplemental oxygen.
  
  
• Reduce fever. If fever is present, it may be reduced with medications.
  
  
• Administer certain medications in cases of ischemic stroke (stroke due to restricted blood flow to the brain). If a patient has had an ischemic stroke, medications that dissolve blood clots (thrombolytic medications) may be given intravenously. The most common thrombolytic medication is known as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), which has been approved for use in treating strokes since 1996. It is most effective if administered within three hours of the onset of symptoms. Aspirin may also be beneficial for patients who have had an ischemic stroke (but not hemorrhagic stroke).
  
  
• Prevent nutritional deficiency, Special attention may need to be provided to meeting a patient’s nutritional needs (intravenously or through the mouth) and to preventing pneumonia, a common complication after a stroke.

In cases where the stroke was caused by a partial blockage of a carotid artery (artery that carries blood from the heart to the brain) in the neck, a surgery called carotid endarterectomy may be performed to remove the accumulated plaque in the artery. In other cases, a cerebral angioplasty may be performed. This involves the use of a balloon-tipped catheter to stretch blood vessels in the brain and improve blood flow.

People who survive a stroke often need to undergo physical therapy to deal with impaired movement or speech that can occur as the result of a stroke. The sooner this treatment is begun, the more likely it is that patients will regain significant functioning. People who have had a stroke may also experience depression, which may be related to the temporary or permanent loss of body functioning. If depression occurs, patients are urged to seek the help of a qualified counselor for support and treatment.