Stroke is a serious medical condition where blood supply to the brain is interrupted, causing cell death. The main causes are ischemic stroke (80% of cases), due to blockage, and hemorrhagic stroke, due to bleeding in the brain. Strokes are medical emergencies, as prompt treatment can prevent brain damage. Patients at risk undergo a stroke risk assessment called ROSIER to determine urgency of specialist treatment. If an ischemic stroke is detected within 4.5 hours, thrombolysis can be administered to break up blood clots, improving outcomes. Hospitals should have immediate access to neurovascular specialists to assess and treat suspected strokes around the clock to minimize neurological damage and aid rehabilitation. Medical negligence claims may arise
The study includes data from 58,353 patients who received tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) within 4.5 hours of acute ischemic stroke symptom onset at 1,395 hospitals that participate in the Get With The Guidelines (GWTG®)-Stroke Program.
Global Medical Cures™ | STROKE- Challenges, Progress & Promise
DISCLAIMER-
Global Medical Cures™ does not offer any medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or recommendations. Only your healthcare provider/physician can offer you information and recommendations for you to decide about your healthcare choices.
The study includes data from 58,353 patients who received tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) within 4.5 hours of acute ischemic stroke symptom onset at 1,395 hospitals that participate in the Get With The Guidelines (GWTG®)-Stroke Program.
Global Medical Cures™ | STROKE- Challenges, Progress & Promise
DISCLAIMER-
Global Medical Cures™ does not offer any medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or recommendations. Only your healthcare provider/physician can offer you information and recommendations for you to decide about your healthcare choices.
Stroke is a medical emergency, with a mortality rate higher
than most forms of cancer. It is the second leading cause of
death in developed countries and is the most common cause
of serious, long-term disability in adults. The incidence of
stroke is increasing with the aging of populations and hence
there is a major challenge to health planners.
Stroke is a disease that affects the arteries within the brain.
It is the 5th cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States.
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts (or ruptures). When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs,and brain cells die.
Stroke is a medical emergency, with a mortality rate higher than most forms of cancer. It is the second leading cause of death in developed countries and is the most common cause of serious, long-term disability in adults. The incidence of stroke is increasing with the aging of populations and hence there is a major challenge to health planners.
Evidence-based advances in acute stroke have included proof of the benefit of organized care in stroke units, modern brain imaging, and thrombolytic therapy, the modest benefit of acute aspirin in ischemic stroke clearly, a lack of awareness of the common symptoms of stroke remains a major educational challenge, and the urgency of stroke treatment is still poorly appreciated. Despite the proven benefit of stroke units, the majority of patients in most countries cannot access specialized stroke care.
The article focuses on current treatment guidelines and new therapeutic prospects, emphasizing the importance of early intervention and the need for a multidisciplinary approach to the management of stroke patients.
Stroke is a medical emergency, with a mortality rate higher
than most forms of cancer. It is the second leading cause of
death in developed countries and is the most common cause
of serious, long-term disability in adults. The incidence of
stroke is increasing with the aging of populations and hence
there is a major challenge to health planners.
Stroke is a disease that affects the arteries within the brain.
It is the 5th cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States.
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts (or ruptures). When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs,and brain cells die.
Stroke is a medical emergency, with a mortality rate higher than most forms of cancer. It is the second leading cause of death in developed countries and is the most common cause of serious, long-term disability in adults. The incidence of stroke is increasing with the aging of populations and hence there is a major challenge to health planners.
Evidence-based advances in acute stroke have included proof of the benefit of organized care in stroke units, modern brain imaging, and thrombolytic therapy, the modest benefit of acute aspirin in ischemic stroke clearly, a lack of awareness of the common symptoms of stroke remains a major educational challenge, and the urgency of stroke treatment is still poorly appreciated. Despite the proven benefit of stroke units, the majority of patients in most countries cannot access specialized stroke care.
The article focuses on current treatment guidelines and new therapeutic prospects, emphasizing the importance of early intervention and the need for a multidisciplinary approach to the management of stroke patients.
1. 1
Stroke
Stroke is a serious medical condition where the blood supply to part of the brain is
cut off causing damage to that part of the brain from cell death. There are two main
causes of stroke. Ischemic stroke (accounting for over 80% of all cases) occurs
where the blood supply is stopped due to a blood clot or blockage in a blood vessel
leading to or within the brain. Haemorrhagic stroke occurs where there is bleeding
from a blood vessel in the brain or in the space surrounding the brain such as from a
brain aneurysm.
Strokes are medical emergencies as prompt treatment can prevent what could
otherwise be catastrophic brain damage. It is essential for patients who are thought
to be at risk of a stroke to undergo a structured risk assessment for stroke which is
referred to as the ROSIER. The score obtained on this risk assessment determines
the urgency within which the patient is required to be seen and treated by a
specialist service. If an ischemic stroke is detected within 4 ½ hours of onset, it is
able to be treated with thrombolysis which involves the administration of intravenous
Actylase (provided there are no contraindications to its use). Thrombolysis is
directed at breaking down the blood clot causing the blockage and is associated with
a significantly improved outcome in stroke patients.
The Irish Guidelines recommend that all hospitals accepting acute medical
admissions should have onsite or immediate access to a specialist neurovascular
service to assess and to initiate treatment in patients with suspected stroke as well
as having around the clock on-call availability of an acute stroke specialist. Patients
who have experienced significant neurological damage from a completed stroke
often require extensive rehabilitation in a stroke unit in order to recover loss of
function.
Medical negligence claims can often arise where there has been an unacceptable
delay in the recognition and treatment of an impending stroke. There may be an
unacceptable delay in General Practitioners referring patients with symptoms of an
impending stroke for urgent hospital assessment or the Accident and Emergency
2. 2
Department of a hospital may fail to adequately and timeously assess a patient’s risk
of stroke and appropriately refer him/her for urgent treatment. After admission, a
Hospital’s medical team may fail to involve a stroke specialist in the patient’s
management at an early stage and thereby miss the limited window of opportunity to
provide thrombolysis. Similarly, the specialist Stroke Team may inappropriately delay
treatment or fail to provide the appropriate treatment. Where there are deficiencies in
the care and management of a patient with overt symptoms of an impending stroke,
a medical negligence claim can lie against your treating practitioners for damages
associated with the consequences of the stroke which would have been avoided had
prompt and adequate medical care been provided.