Abstract
The advent of thrombolytic therapy for ischemic stroke has refocused attention on this common, serious, and expensive problem. It may have seemed that little progress had been made until now; in fact, the field has quietly advanced. For example, it has been demonstrated that informed, experienced, and integrated care improves the outcome of patients with ischemic stroke. The now-proven efficacy of thrombolysis will doubtless affect stroke management policies. A campaign to educate the public and prepare the care- delivery system for rapid triage and treatment will expedite the care of all stroke patients. Management will he further changed in patients who actually receive thrombolytic therapy: stroke-related hypertension will be treated more aggressively and antithrombotic therapies will not be used during the first 24 hours. Other management will remain the same. Accurate diagnosis of the mechanism of ischemia will allow targeted secondary prevention, for which substantial proof of efficacy has accumulated over the years.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 505-524 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | Consultant |
| Volume | 37 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| State | Published - Dec 1 1997 |
