ACUTE STROKE

Course overview

GLOBALLY, STROKE IS THE SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AND A LEADING CAUSE OF DISABILITY, INCURRING ENORMOUS ECONOMIC COSTS. ACUTE STROKE IS CLASSIFIED AS ISCHEMIC OR HEMORRHAGIC, WITH SOME OVERLAP IN RISK FACTORS AND CLINICAL PRESENTATION, EACH REQUIRING SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT. ISCHEMIC STROKES ARE DUE TO BLOOD VESSEL BLOCKAGE LIMITING THE BLOOD SUPPLY TO THE BRAIN. IN CONTRAST, HEMORRHAGIC STROKES ARE DUE TO BLOOD VESSEL RUPTURE LEADING TO BLOOD SPILLING INTO THE INTRACRANIAL CAVITY. INTERPROFESSIONAL AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMWORK IS NECESSARY TO RAPIDLY RECOGNIZE AND TREAT PATIENTS WITH ACUTE STROKE AND DELIVER EFFECTIVE CARE DURING RECOVERY AND REHABILITATION. GUIDELINES FOR ISCHEMIC STROKE, INTRACEREBRAL HEMORRHAGE, AND SUBARACHNOID HEMORRHAGE RECOMMEND INTERPROFESSIONAL HEALTHCARE TEAMS FOR PREHOSPITAL AND HOSPITAL CARE TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES. REHABILITATION SERVICES DELIVERED BY A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM DURING AND AFTER HOSPITALIZATION ARE ESSENTIAL TO ACHIEVING FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY AND PATIENT INDEPENDENCE IN PATIENTS WHO HAVE SUFFERED AN ACUTE STROKE. THIS OVERVIEW OF ACUTE STROKE IS BASED ON CURRENT AHA/ASA GUIDELINES AND PUBLISHED LITERATURE AND IS DESIGNED TO UPDATE PROVIDERS ON THIS POTENTIALLY DISABLING AND FATAL CONDITION TO MAXIMIZE CLINICAL RECOVERY FOR THE INDIVIDUAL PATIENT AND DECREASE THE GLOBAL BURDEN OF STROKE.