[Broader indications for treatment of ischaemic stroke]

Broader indications for treatment of ischaemic stroke Current guidelines suggest that selected patients with ischaemic stroke can be treated with intravenous thrombolysis or mechanical thrombectomy within 4.5 or 6 hours, respectively, after onset of the stroke. Recent developments in imaging have made it possible to distinguish permanently damaged brain tissue from brain tissue that is potentially salvageable after reperfusion, and recent trials have demonstrated that the window of time for intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy can be extended by selecting patients on the basis of the amount of potentially salvageable brain tissue. Patients with symptoms of acute stroke must be referred to a specialist stroke centre as soon as possible, even if more than 6 hours have passed since the onset of clinical symptoms.