Acute stroke management: key issues

Abstract

Stroke is a clinical syndrome that includes sudden neurologic deficit of presumed vascular origin. It is one of the largest cause of disability in Azerbaijan and many other countries of the world. 

There are three main forms of acute stroke:

• Ischaemic stroke: this happens when a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked by a blood clot, or atherosclerosis in blood vessels. Around 80% of people who have an acute stroke are diagnosed with an ischaemic stroke.
• Transient ischaemic attack: happens when the blockage in the blood vessel is only temporary and usually reversed within 24 hours after onset of symptoms. This sometimes referred to as mini-stroke.
• Haemorrhagic stroke: happens when blood vessel in the brain ruptures resulting in spillage of blood into the brain.

The severity of a stroke depends on which blood vessels are affected. A blockage or a rupture in one of the main arteries that supplies the brain will cause widespread damage and severe loss of function.

A blockage in a minor branch of an artery will cause less damage. In such patients the full recovery or recovery with minor neurological deficit is more likely. Early recognition and management of stroke patients is of crucial importance in order to prevent severe morbidity, disability and even death.