Acute stroke therapy: A review

This review summarizes the modern early diagnosis and acute phase treatment of acute stroke. The guidelines for treatment of acute ischemic stroke underwent major changes in 2015 and endovascular therapy (catheter-based mechanical thrombectomy with a stent retriever) became the class IA indication for patients presenting within less than 6h from symptom onset who have proven occlusion of large intracerebral artery in anterior circulation. Acute stroke care organization should enable to perform effective revascularization therapy as soon as possible after the initial brain imaging whenever this examination provides indication for the procedure.