Acute Stroke Care

Book excerpt: You have just encountered a possible stroke patient. You ask yourself: what should I do first? How do I know it is a stroke? Is it too late to reverse the damage? How do I do the right things in the right order? This book will help you answer these critical questions. It provides practical advice on the care of stroke patients in a range of acute settings. The content is arranged in chronological order, covering the things to consider in assessing and treating the patient in the emergency department, the stroke unit and then on transfer to a rehabilitation facility. All types of stroke are covered. This new edition provides updated information from recently completed clinical trials and added information on endovascular therapy, hemicraniectomy for severe stroke, DVT prophylaxis and stroke prevention. A comprehensive set of appendices contain useful reference information including dosing algorithms, conversion factors and stroke scales.