[Urgent neurologic states: experience at the Neurology Clinic in Sarajevo]

There is a quite good definition of medical care for patients suffering from chronicle neurological diseases. However the neurologist role in taking care of urgent cases is substantially less determined. This paper is analyzing one year efforts of the on duty neurological team in the Out Patient Department and Emergency Division of the Neurology Department in Sarajevo. During this period the on duty neurological team examined the total of 3939 patients, out of which 1022 patients where kept for treatment. The patients where most frequently assigned to the Emergency unit for following reasons: vascular incident of the Central Nervous System(1955 patients or 50%), cerebrovascular accident represented with 1290 or 33%, and TIA of the carotid and vertebrobasilar area 544 or 14% along with hypertensive encephalopathia, 118 or 3%. This is followed by the group of the short-term disturbance of consciousness (472 or 125), out of which the consciousness crises represented 257 or 7%, and epileptic crises 215 or 5%. Following are the lower percentages of the headaches (287 or 7%), radicular painful syndrome of cervical and lumbal area (209 or 5%), vertigo (183 or 5%), neurophatia (167 or 4%), etc. The more extensive number of patients admitted at the Emergency Division where suffering from brain stroke (800 or 78%), TIA was represented by a lower number (172 or 17%). Only 50 patients had other diagnosis. The ischemic stroke represented 674 or 81% with patients suffering from the brain stroke and the hemorrhagic stroke 153 or 19%. Today, the urgent neurological conditions represent a particular area of Neurology, not only neurologists need to know but also other medical doctors, to enable the patients to be forwarded on time to the appropriate care institution.