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Updated: Aug 9, 2026

A Thrombotic Stroke Model Based On Transient Cerebral Hypoxia-ischemia
Published on: August 18, 2015
This infant is having a stroke: an illustrative case report
Hugh O'Reilly1, Michael Barrett2,3, Laura Melody2
1Department of Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland. hughloreilly@gmail.com.
Insights
Timely intervention for paediatric stroke is crucial. This case study highlights successful thrombolysis in an 8-month-old infant, demonstrating achievable outcomes with prompt diagnosis and multidisciplinary care.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Paediatric stroke is a rare neurological emergency requiring prompt diagnosis and intervention to prevent long-term disability.
- Established reperfusion strategies like thrombolysis are available for children, but access is often delayed by diagnostic challenges.
- Limited infrastructure and public awareness contribute to delayed diagnosis in paediatric stroke cases, unlike in adults.
Observation:
- An 8-month-old infant presented with acute-onset left-sided hemiplegia, a critical symptom of paediatric stroke.
- Rapid identification of stroke, timely neuroimaging, and multidisciplinary team involvement were key to the patient's management.
- The infant received thrombolysis in a paediatric intensive care unit following prompt diagnosis.
Findings:
- The infant received timely thrombolysis, a crucial reperfusion therapy for acute ischaemic stroke.
- Despite a minor speech delay, the infant demonstrated positive recovery with normal gross motor function.
- This case illustrates the successful application of advanced stroke treatments in a paediatric patient within an Irish healthcare setting.
Implications:
- Equitable access to paediatric stroke care necessitates a national strategy due to the condition's rarity.
- Early diagnosis and prompt intervention, including reperfusion therapies, are vital for improving outcomes in paediatric stroke.
- This case underscores the potential for successful paediatric stroke management with coordinated multidisciplinary care and timely interventions.
Background:
Paediatric stroke is a rare event, and timely intervention is required to minimise long-term disability, reduced quality of life and financial implications. Although reperfusion strategies such as thrombolysis and thrombectomy are now well established in the adult population, and paediatric consensus guidelines allow for reperfusion therapies in children, access is currently limited due to diagnostic delays. This challenge is partly due to the rarity of presentation, infrastructure and public awareness to support early diagnosis as exists in the adult setting. We use an illustrative case and literature to describe an achieved case of paediatric stroke within an Irish setting.
Methods:
We use the case of an 8-month-old male infant presenting with acute-onset left-sided hemiplegia to illustrate what can be achieved in an Irish setting.
Results:
Stroke was identified quickly following presentation, timely neuroimaging and multidisciplinary involvement with disposition to paediatric intensive care unit where thrombolysis was administered. Although the patient has some speech delay, he is recovering well with normal gross motor function.
Conclusions:
Paediatric stroke care should be available to all children presenting with acute stroke symptoms; however, the rarity of the diagnosis would suggest a national strategy will be required to provide equitable care at a national level.
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Stroke: Introduction and Types
Ischemic Stroke l: Introduction
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Hemorrhagic Stroke ll: Pathophysiology
Transient Ischemic Attack l: Introduction

