Stroke intervention

As current stroke therapies are refined and newer promising methodologies brought on line, the rapid, accurate diagnosis of stroke syndromes will become more important. The emergency department is in a unique and vital position for providing early diagnosis, for organizing and activating an interdisciplinary team to rapidly assess the stroke patient, and for establishing protocols for therapy. The emergency physician has an important role in increasing general awareness and in helping to educate the public about risk factors and early symptoms of various stroke syndromes. Nursing and emergency personnel must also be made increasingly aware of the desirability of early recognition of stroke and of new therapeutic measures. Stroke patients should no longer be considered of moderate to low priority, as has often been the case in the past. With an aggressive approach in dealing with risk factors, education in early recognition of symptoms, and new and promising interventional therapies, morbidity and mortality from this often catastrophic disease may be dramatically reduced.