title: Emergency management of ischemic stroke.
abstract: The accurate diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke is possible using clinical skills and diagnostic tools that are familiar to all neurosurgeons. Avoidance of immediate complications relies on the fundamentals of critical care. Effective treatment for ischemic stroke is available in the form of intravenous thrombolysis, but many stroke patients are denied this therapy because of the narrow window of opportunity for safe administration. Intra-arterial delivery may extend this benefit to a greater number of patients and may eventually prove more effective than intravenous treatment. Surgical treatment in a small number of ischemic stroke patients can be lifesaving and may afford reasonable functional recovery. This article discusses typical clinical presentations and differential diagnosis, diagnostic imaging for ischemic stroke, and possible treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Selman
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000379:methods; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed