Hi,
Thank you for posting your query.
It is unfortunate that your husband suffered a stroke of left frontal lobe (the dominant side of brain), resulting in right sided weakness of arm and leg, swallowing and speaking difficulty. In addition, he has pneumonia, for which he is on
mechanical ventilation.
The recovery is best when the patient is thrombolysed with
tissue plasminogen activator, which is the treatment of choice in the first few hours after stroke. When someone is not thrombolysed, as in your husband's case, recovery is delayed and often incomplete.
The first priority here is to wean him off the ventilator. For this tracheostomy may be required.
Physiotherapy can be started now, while he is in ICU and on mechanical ventilator. This would ensure faster recovery. Along with this,
speech therapy can also be started once he is off ventilator.
If his swallowing remains inadequate, then, NG tube feeds may be continued.
The most crucial phase for development of brain edema is the first four days,after that the
brain swelling starts to decrease.
I hope it helps.
Wishing you good health,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology)
Senior Consultant Neurologist