What happens after a person has a stroke and she is in the hospital in the ICU?

Would a stroke victim go without food for six days and only be fed sugar water introveneously? Would a feeding tube be denied for six days following a stroke? If you could answer both questions, I would be most grateful. Also, are stroke victims placed in the ICU? I prefer a nurse or doctor or someone with a lot of health care knowledge to answer this. Thanks!

Depending on the hospital, some stroke patients are put in ICU, some are put on a neurosurgery floor. It totally depends on the severity and the type of nursing care they need. If they need alot of interventions (like a central line, ventillator, etc) they will probably go to some type of ICU.

A stroke victim could go without food for 6 days, considering that a stroke could affect the ability to swallow. If someone has had a stroke and their swallowing was affected, they could aspirate (inhale) fluid/food into the lungs which could cause pneumonia. So that's why they have IV dextrose.

As far as denying a feeding tube: They're not comfortable and can irritate the stomach lining and sinuses, and if the person is a possible surgical canidate, their belly would have to be empty. Its also possible that the plan is to have a swallow study done and start foods orally, in which case a feeding tube would not be necessary.

IV dextrose is only a short-term solution. For the shorter-term, someone would need either a nasogastric tube (temporary), or a central line to deliver TPN (total parentral nutrition, which is IV fluids that deliver amino acids, dextrose, and fats). A long term solution would be a PEG tube (surgically placed in the abdomen), that delivers liquid food to the person; usually used for people who are in a coma or severely malnourished and unable to take oral food.

I'm not a nurse or doctor to answer the first few questions, but the last I can answer from personal experience of knowing several people who've had strokes (including a 19 year old female).

Stroke victims get put into ICU until they are sure that it will not happen again. They've got to make sure the clot that caused the stroke is not going to cause any more damage so they put them in ICU where they can't move all that much and have to stay in the bed. It also insures that there is around the clock high surveillance in case of a relapse or second stroke. Most stroke victims deal with paralysis and can't move and they need extra care that a normal hospital room doesn't provide like ICU does.

The person would initially be placed in IV fluids containing glucose (blood sugar) and potassium (to maintain electrolyte balance).

When you say the feeding tube is denied, do you mean by the patient or by the family?

I would think doctors would want a feeding tube (a nasogastric tube, which is a tube inserted into the nose and goes down into the stomach, is a little uncomfortable upon placement, yet is a very easy way to get liquid nutrients into the patient) to prevent wasting, and to maintain the patient's strength.

A stroke victim would be placed in the ICU only if their condition is so unstable that they may need more attention from medical staff, such as someone who is having inter-cranial pressure issues (from active bleeding inside the head from the stroke) or the consequences of damage to the area of the brain affected that can lead to inadequate breathing and possible need the patient to be intubated (placed on a breathing machine).

I wish the person you are referring to all the best.

It depends on the severity of the stroke, and where in the brain it occurs. I know a woman who had 4 strokes and was still completely mobile. Her memory suffered. I also know a woman who lost her husband (age 34) to a stroke. They usually start an IV immediately, especially if there's a chance later that they'll have to administer emergency medication. IVs keep the body's systems up while diagnoses are made. It sounds like the most necessary action is being done.