Re:I Had a Stroke at 33
by mhb on Sunday September 21, 2014 @04:47PM
(#8348241)
This advice to not fall asleep is pretty prevalent (at least on TV). Is there a basis for it?
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Re:I Had a Stroke at 33
by magicalist on Sunday September 21, 2014 @06:04PM
(#8348497)
Not sure about strokes, but it used to be believed that a person with a concussion must be kept awake, but it turns out not to make a difference. It's still a fairly common trope in movies and on tv, though.
One source on that: http://www.uamshealth.com/?id=10724
It's useful to detect problems not prevent them. One of the symptoms of interracial pressure, a significant risk with head injury, is drowsiness. But, other symptoms are also fairly easy to detect in a responsive patent. However, in cases of significant head injury this can be directly monitored allowing the patent to sleep.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000793.htm
PS: From you link "If the person who is injured is awake and holding a conversation, you can let him or her fall asleep as long as they are not developing any other symptoms such as dilated pupils or issues with walking. "
The most important thing about staying awake is that a more complete neurological exam can be performed. There's always ways to wake someone up, but the unfortunate part is that any treatment may alter the results of neuro tests