A standardized surgical decompression protocol to manage excessive brain swelling following a stroke reduced patient mortality approximately 50 percent, according to a study published in the American Heart Association's Stroke journal.
The surgical decompression involved removing a portion of the skull over the stroke location to allow extra room where the brain was swelling. A second surgery was required to replace the piece of skull for patients who survived the surgery.
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For patients who underwent the standardized decompression protocol, the mortality rate at 21 days was 21 percent, and the mortality rate at 180 days was 36 percent. Patients who did not undergo the surgical decompression protocol had a 40 percent mortality rate at both 21 days and 180 days.
Researchers suggest standardizing medical management may be beneficial for patients because treating every patient the same may proactively reduce surprise or emergency events that may arise.
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