Acute stroke patients - Early hospital management

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Patients with acute stroke have improved outcomes when managed in a stroke unit providing multidisciplinary care, including early rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE: This article provides an overview of early hospital management and rehabilitation for stroke patients. DISCUSSION: Stroke and transient ischaemic attack are medical emergencies. Both have time dependent therapy and the risk of a recurrent event is highest in the hours to days after the initial event. Important aspects of early hospital management include: rapid confirmation of the stroke diagnosis with computerised tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, urgent investigations for the cause of stroke, acute therapy, early in..