What are the common complications of cerebrovascular disease?

  The acute phase of cerebrovascular disease is dangerous and some serious complications often occur, the most common ones are as follows.  (1) cerebral herniation Most patients with cerebrovascular disease die in the acute stage, and most of them die because of massive hemorrhage, displacement or destruction of the midline brain structures, whole brain edema, formation of brain herniation, so that the brain stem is squeezed and displaced, endangering the life center. It is reported in China that 44.8% to 50.1% of brain hemorrhage combined with brain herniation deaths, so timely and effective reduction of intracranial pressure, reduction of cerebral edema and prevention of brain herniation formation are the key measures for the success or failure of treatment. When patients have the following conditions: 1) severe headache or extreme irritability; 2) frequent vomiting or convulsions; 3) slower respiration and heart rate, and higher blood pressure; 4) gradually worsening impaired consciousness; 5) unequal pupils bilaterally. Then it suggests that the intracranial pressure is significantly increased, and there may be brain herniation formation, which should be actively treated by dehydration or surgery.  (2) Cerebro-cardiac syndrome When the cerebral hemorrhage lesion affects the lower thalamus, the higher center of the vegetative nerves, resulting in neurohumoral disorders, it also often causes cardiac and cerebral functional or organic changes, which is called cerebro-cardiac syndrome.  The brain-heart syndrome often takes two forms: brain-heart stroke, which starts with brain hemorrhage and is followed by cardiovascular disease. The second is a simultaneous brain-heart stroke, in which brain hemorrhage and cardiovascular disease occur at or near the same time. However, because the symptoms mask each other, it is often easy to misdiagnose and affect the treatment. Therefore, during the resuscitation process, it is important to pay close attention to the patient’s medical history and to observe carefully whether there is cardiac insufficiency. If there are abnormalities such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, cyanosis, wet rales at the bottom of the lungs, low heart sounds and tachycardia, an electrocardiogram should be performed in a timely manner. Once there is heart rhythm disturbance and ECG changes, it should be treated as organic heart disease while treating cerebral hemorrhage.  (3) Bladder and rectal dysfunction Patients with light cerebral hemorrhage often have temporary “postural urinary retention” and dry stools because they are not used to defecating in the lying position. In severe cases, when the lesion affects the hemispheric motor centers, frequent urination and increased bladder pressure often occur. If the third ventricle is stimulated, increased rectal motility often occurs, leading to a high degree of defecation hyperactivity, with patients having frequent bowel movements but smaller volumes per bowel movement. If the gray nodes are damaged, involuntary bowel movements may occur. If the whole brain is damaged and the patient is in deep coma, diarrheal incontinence or urinary retention often occurs.  (4) Renal failure and electrolyte disorders Patients with cerebral hemorrhage are unable to respond to subjective sensations due to coma or aphasia, coupled with complex symptoms and more treatment conflicts; they also often suffer from frequent vomiting, fever, sweating, application of dehydrating agents and insufficient rehydration resulting in water loss, electrolyte disorders and renal failure. Sometimes acidosis is caused by hypoxia, starvation, abnormal respiration, etc., or occasional alkalosis occurs. However, the above-mentioned diseases are often overlooked in the case of coma or co-infection, which makes the disease aggravate day by day, so it should be observed. When deepening and accelerated respiration, tachycardia, increased impairment of consciousness, decreased blood pressure, decreased or absent urine, edema or dehydration of limbs and face are found, we should carefully search for the cause of the disease and promptly perform tests such as carbon dioxide binding capacity, non-protein nitrogen, blood gas analysis and quantitative electrolyte measurement, etc. If abnormalities are found, they should be dealt with promptly.  (5) Central thermoregulation disorder When cerebral hemorrhage affects the subthalamic and anterior parts of the brain, the heat dissipation mechanism is destroyed, which can cause persistent hyperthermia, with body temperature often reaching 40℃ or more, and can be accompanied by no sweating, cold limbs, tachycardia, increased respiration and other symptoms. However, white blood cells are generally not increased, compound aminopyrine, aspirin also can not make it drop, sometimes use barbiturate plus ice pillow to cool down effective, if not timely treatment, a few hours can die.  (6) Decubitus ulcers Cerebrovascular patients are often bedridden for a long time due to hemiplegia, plus some patients are fat, not easy to turn and care for, sacrococcygeal, internal and external ankles, heels, hips and other bone protrusions, often due to long-term pressure, impaired blood circulation, resulting in local malnutrition, decubitus ulcers.  In addition, the most common complications include upper gastrointestinal bleeding and lung infection.