Blood tests and other investigations are carried out to screen for common risk factors and unusual causes of stroke.
| Test | Results |
| FBC | Hb 128g/l (NR 130-180), MCV 105fl (NR 78-98), WBC 4.5×109/l (NR 4-11), Plat 120 (NR 150-350) |
| ESR | 10mm/hr (NR 1-10) |
| U&Es | Na 129mmol/l (NR 135-145), K 4.9mmol/l (NR 3.6-5.0), urea 2.3mmol/l (NR 2.5-6.6), creat 78 umol/L (NR 60-120) |
| LFTs | Bilirubin 21(NR 3-16 umol/L) ALT 123U/l (NR 10-50) ALP 176U/l(NR 40-125) GGT 110U/l (NR 10-55) |
| Prothrombin time ratio | 1.6 (NR 0.9-1.3) |
| Blood sugar | 4.5mmol/l (NR 3.2- 5.5) |
| Cholesterol | 5.6mmol/l (NR 2.5-5.5) |
| C Reactive protein | < 3mg/l (NR 0-10) |
| ECG | sinus rhythm 72/min, normal |
| Echocardiogram | normal, no vegetations |
| Blood cultures | no growth |
The CT scan shows a haemorrhage in the right internal capsule and excludes alternative non stroke diagnoses. Jason is admitted to the NuYu stroke unit.
So, he has macrocytosis (raised MCV – large red cells), a lowish platelet count, low sodium and urea, abnormal LFTs and a slightly high INR (abnormal clotting) which all fit with a history of excessive alcohol intake perhaps causing a degree of liver disease. He has had a haemorrhagic stroke, potential causes and risk facors include:
- High blood pressure (contributed to by alcohol)
- Cocaine abuse
- Abnormal coagulation
Page last reviewed: 05 May 2020
