Preventing another event: role of the hospitalist in discharge stroke prevention

Only 1 of 8 stroke patients is managed exclusively by a neurologist. Furthermore, many stroke patients harbor other vascular comorbidities and are also at risk for developing general medical complications that can lead to death following stroke. With the growing hospitalist system, it is quite clear that hospitalists are, and will increasingly be, an integral part of the care team for many hospitalized stroke patients. Because prevention remains the mainstay of treatment for ischemic stroke and TIA, it would be useful for practicing hospitalists to know the scientific evidence behind recommended therapeutic approaches to reducing vascular risk following stroke, as well as strategies for bridging the prevailing evidence-practice gap for hospitalized stroke patients, which this review article presents.