[Should a patient with a stroke be hospitalized?]

After a short historical introduction, the question whether a patient with a CVA should always be admitted to hospital is discussed. In the Netherlands, many such patients are not admitted to hospital in the acute phase of the illness. The wishes of the patient and the state of the patient before the incident are important factors in the decision. Because the decision may be very difficult sometimes, it is the opinion of the author that the general practitioner should consult a medical specialist in such cases.