How are things different if the stroke is hemorrhagic rather than ischemic?
Many hemorrhagic strokes initially produce severe or unusual headache and nausea or vomiting, with or without loss of consciousness. Although this presentation increases clinical suspicion of a hemorrhage, a CT scan is a key element of the initial diagnosis. The CT scan not only differentiates hemorrhagic from ischemic strokes in the first 24 hours, it also provides additional critical information about the size and location of hemorrhage and may reveal structural abnormalities like aneurysms or tumor responsible for the bleed.