The risk period for brainstem infarction is usually about 2 weeks after the onset of the infarction.
Cerebral edema occurs about 2 weeks after the onset of brainstem infarction. Usually, edema starts to occur a few hours after the onset of brainstem infarction and reaches the peak of edema in 3-5 days, and the edema can subside in about 2 weeks with active treatment.
The condition of patients in the peak of cerebral edema is more serious, and usually patients will have more obvious consciousness disorder or even coma.
Patients with brainstem infarction may have respiratory and circulatory dysfunction, and in severe cases, they may also go to a state of cerebral rigidity, so brainstem infarction is more serious than general cerebral infarction. Once it occurs, it should be treated actively, and if respiratory dysfunction occurs, tracheotomy can be considered for mechanically assisted ventilation.
Brain stem infarction should be treated and rehabilitated under the guidance of specialized physicians.