Acute Cardioembolic Stroke in the Setting of Subtherapeutic Anticoagulation

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Ankit Ambatipudi, University of Central Florida; Anjali Daniel, Emory University; Rohan Mangal, University of Miami; Paul R. Banerjee, Mercer University; Latha Ganti, Brown University
• Language: English
• Date: 2023-09-08
• Publisher: Springer Nature
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2023, Ambatipudi et al.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.44925
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Cureus
• Volume: 15
• Issue: 9
• Start Page: e44925
• Keywords: acute cardioembolic stroke; middle cerebral artery infarct; intravenous thrombolysis; cardioembolic strokes; subtherapeutic anticoagulation
• Research Categories: Biology, Neuroscience; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery

Abstract

Acute ischemic stroke is a sudden neurological deficit secondary to decreased or lack of blood flow (perfusion) due to a thrombus or an embolus. Embolic strokes are ischemic strokes that occur due to a distal clot that results in hypoperfusion upstream. Cardioembolic strokes are embolic strokes due to a cardiac origin. Almost a quarter of ischemic strokes are of cardioembolic etiology. Here, we present the case of an 83-year-old female presenting with right-side weakness and aphasia who arrived 45 minutes after symptom onset. Cardioembolic stroke symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and risk factors are discussed.