Current concepts in the management of acute ischemic stroke

The treatment of stroke is multifaceted, and is governed by three, well established goals: 1) To minimize the extent of brain; 2) To medically support the stroke patient; and 3) To prevent further brain injury secondary to initial event or repeated vascular insults. Certain guidelines for emergency care, based on clinical experience and knowledge of pathophysiology, have been accepted in many institutions as the standard. This article provides guidelines about the current management of acute ischemic stroke based on currently available data from clinical trials. The target audiences for this article are emergency room physicians and neurologists, who manage the patients during the first few hours after stroke.