Management of acute stroke

Stroke ranks as the third leading cause of death and the most common cause of permanent disability in adults. Timely recognition and treatment is imperative to reduce stroke-related morbidity and mortality. Patients with acute ischemic stroke should be evaluated for administration of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA); those who do not qualify for t-PA should receive aspirin therapy in the absence of a contraindication. In all stroke patients, intravenous hydration with normal saline should be administered, hypoxia should be corrected with supplemental oxygen, and hyperglycemia and fever should be treated aggressively. Blood pressure management should be individualized on the basis of stroke pathophysiology and specific treatment plan (e.g., planned thrombolysis) following published guidelines. Evaluation of stroke etiology should be undertaken, and the results should be used to guide secondary stroke prevention efforts.