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Updated: Dec 25, 2025

Optimized Management of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke
Published on: January 18, 2018
Update on Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke
Insights
Recent advancements expand reperfusion treatment for acute ischemic stroke. Carefully selected patients can now receive emergency reperfusion therapy up to 24 hours after symptom onset, improving outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Cerebrovascular Diseases
Background:
- Acute ischemic stroke requires timely intervention.
- Reperfusion therapy is critical for improving outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an update on the current treatment of acute ischemic stroke.
- To emphasize indications for reperfusion therapy.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent randomized controlled trials.
- Analysis of expanded indications for reperfusion therapy.
Main Results:
- Established indications for intravenous thrombolysis (within 4.5 hours) and mechanical thrombectomy (within 6 hours).
- New indications for reperfusion in wake-up or delayed presentation strokes (up to 24 hours).
- Perfusion imaging or MRI is crucial for patient selection in extended windows.
Conclusions:
- Timely and successful reperfusion is the most effective treatment.
- Recent evidence supports expanded time windows for reperfusion in selected patients.
Editor'S Note:
The article "Update on Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke" by Dr Rabinstein was first published in the February 2017 Cerebrovascular Disease issue of Continuum: Lifelong Learning in Neurology as "Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke" and has been updated by Dr Rabinstein for this issue at the request of the Editor-in-Chief.
Abstract:
PURPOSE OF REVIEWThis article provides an update on the state of the art of the treatment of acute ischemic stroke with particular emphasis on the indications for reperfusion therapy.RECENT FINDINGSIn addition to the previously established indications for intravenous (IV) thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) within 4.5 hours of stroke symptom onset and endovascular therapy with mechanical thrombectomy for patients with large artery occlusion who can be treated within 6 hours of symptom onset, recent randomized controlled trials have now established new indications for emergency reperfusion in patients with wake-up stroke or delayed presentation (up to 24 hours from last known well in the case of mechanical thrombectomy). Identification of patients who may benefit from acute reperfusion therapy within this extended time window requires screening with perfusion brain imaging or, in the case of IV thrombolysis for wake-up strokes, emergency brain MRI. Collateral status and time to reperfusion remain the primary determinants of outcome.SUMMARYTimely successful reperfusion is the most effective treatment for patients with acute ischemic stroke. Recent evidence supports the expansion of the time window for reperfusion treatment in carefully selected patients.
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