Home > All Topics > Pediatric Stroke: Diagnosis and Management in the Emergency Department
Pediatric Stroke: Diagnosis and Management in the Emergency Department
Below is a free preview. Log in or subscribe for full access. Or, get a free sample article ED Assessment and Management of Pediatric Acute Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Concussion:
Consider cervicocephalic arterial dissection as a cause of stroke, particularly in boys aged 6 to 10 years with a preceding trauma within the past week.
Infants may present with nonfocal signs such as altered mental status and seizures. Other reported findings include a full fontanelle, lethargy, vomiting, increasing head circumference, and hemiparesis.
Consider cerebral sinus venous thrombosis (CSVT) in patients who present with focal neurologic symptoms as well as signs and symptoms of increased intracranial pressure.
The most common stroke mimics include migraines, seizures, Bell palsy, conversion disorder, and syncope.
Neurologic symptoms of migraines commonly resolve within 30 minutes. In contrast, children with arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) present with sudden-onset focal weakness (more often than numbness), speech or language changes, ataxia, and/or seizures.