Why should you go to the hospital when having a stroke?

My husband is 27 he has APS.

What is APS?

APS is an abbreviation for Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome. APS is also called APLS or APLA in the United States and Hughes Syndrome or Sticky Blood in the UK.

About a month ago he had a few strokes, he was in the hospital for a week so they could figure out why he was having the strokes. They sent him home with blood thinners (plavix) and we had to wait a few weeks to get a diagnosis.

Last night he had a bad stroke. He refused to go to the hospital or let me call 911. I called his mom and we really just didn't know what to do.

My question is: What can a hospital do for you while you're having a stroke?

I know it may sound like a dumb question, but I need reasons to convince him why he should go, the next time this happens.

Thanks to everyone that answers :)

I understand a stroke can kill you. I want to know: HOW a hospital can prevent you from dying or ending up abnormal after a Stroke?

It is very unfortunate that your husband has APS. It can cause blood clot anytime anywhere. One thing about stroke is that during the first few days of stroke, the patient is at very high risk of getting a bleed inside the brain, or simply have another stroke. On the other hand, that patient may have very high blood pressure which needs to be carefully monitored or controlled. He may not be able to eat or he is at risk of food going down the lungs rendering deadly pneumonia. Some or all of his activities of daily living may need assistance. The pros of staying / going to hospital is mainly to prevent/treat complications. Furthermore, rehabilitation with physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, etc need to start ASAP to get the best outcome.

In your case, he warfarin dose needs to be adjusted. It is very hard in the beginning. It takes efforts from the doctor, allied health care professionals, patients, relatives to make the patient well again. Don't give up yet, I have seen many APS sufferers who are free of clots for years/decades with a good INR/stable warfarin dose. He needs your support.

A stroke can kill you...


My grandma had a stroke when she was a nurse. It caused her to lose a lot of her memory and the ability to remember things- such as the names of medications.

When you are a nurse and someone says- hey what is that medicine you are giving me? and the nurse can't tell you without looking on the bottle... patients get scared.

She had to retire from nursing because of it. She recently had a triple bipass...

When someone has a stroke, doctors have a very limited window of time in which to administer treatment to prevent permanent damage and possibly death. If your husband refuses to go to the doctor on his own, call 911 anyway. Ask him why he refuses treatment, and try to get him to see a professional about his feelings so that he can understand the importance of treatment.

There are two basic types of stroke. One is caused by a blockage, which doctors are often able to treat, at least to some extent. The other is caused by a hemorrhaging blood vessel, which would need immediate treatment. There's simply no logical explanation to refuse treatment, since leaving a stroke untreated can result in permanent brain damage, disability, or death.