what test is given to check for stroke
Strokes are usually diagnosed by carrying out physical tests and studying images of the brain produced during a scan. When you first arrive at hospital with a suspected stroke, the doctor will want to find out as much as they can about your symptoms. A number of tests can be carried out to help confirm the diagnosis and determine the cause of the stroke. This may include: blood tests to determine your cholesterol and blood sugar levels. checking your pulse for an irregular heartbeat. taking a blood pressure measurement.
1 These tests measure the levels of normal chemical substances in your blood. 2  The most important test in emergency stroke evaluation is glucose (or blood sugar), because levels of blood glucose which are too high or too low can cause symptoms which may be mistaken for stroke. This is a routine test to determine the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in your blood. 2  Hematocrit and hemoglobin are measures of the number of red blood cells. 3  A complete blood count might be used to diagnose anemia (too little blood) or infection (shown by too many white blood cells).