Assessing need for blood thinner

The CHAD score is just if you have afib yes? So my dad is 80. He doesn't have afib ( I don't think). He's not as sharp as some of you 80+ year olds here. He still has a flip phone Well last week Dad whacked the neighbors daylillies and hostas thinking they were weeds.. then got upset saying it was all A-ok. Longer story but he ended up at the ER a few days later where they said he had a stroke "at some point." He did have garbled speech at that point (a little bit). His GP said the ER would maybe put him on a blood thinner. The ER said to ask the GP and he has an appt there on Tuesday. They did two CTs and are trying to get an MRI. The ER released him because they would have had to keep him overnight for the MRI and he wasn't going to do that. they said the stroke was a 1.5 out of 10.

So.... what is standard? A blood thinner? The GP had written a note to take the the ER because he had seen him first and it said he had an odd ECG in the office. But the ER did not say that he did. What questions can I ask the GP? (I"m going to hopefully be there with them). What kind of doctors deal with strokes? He also has massive back issues and was looking to maybe getting more shots in his back, but they had stopped working, so he was considering surgery but I am not sure they'd do that if stroke was an issue.

And yes I know time is of the essence with a stroke but that ship sailed.. I did tell dad, if you get more symptoms you need to go ASAP but he has been dragging one leg for literally months- due to back??? I wonder now if it was a stroke?? And what we expect an MRI to show? What other tests?

Thanks



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/2022 10:32PM by bettylou4488.

Yes, he had a stroke. Yes, he needs to be on an anticoagulant because he's at high risk of having another, which might just polish him off or worse. And yes, he needs to see a cardiologist. This is not a GP's arena and the GP should know that but elderly patients often get the shrug off because, you know, "they're old and they're going to die soon anyway."

what's weird is his doctor is 80.. You'd think he would understand. But a cardiologist then? I will mention to them. And yes I was thinking that last part. it makes me sad. Someone mentioned to me a "stroke specialist". What kind of doc would that be?

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Carey
Yes, he had a stroke. Yes, he needs to be on an anticoagulant because he's at high risk of having another, which might just polish him off or worse. And yes, he needs to see a cardiologist. This is not a GP's arena and the GP should know that but elderly patients often get the shrug off because, you know, "they're old and they're going to die soon anyway."

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/2022 08:27AM by bettylou4488.

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bettylou4488
. What kind of doc would that be?

Vascular Neurologist – A subspecialty of neurology, a physician who is specialized in cerebrovascular disease and vascular diseases of the central nervous system. Vascular neurologists have expertise in the diagnosis and management of stroke and brain imaging.

There are others, but the above would be most appropriate in your dad's situation.

See: [www.memorialcare.org]

Thanks George