Stroke: Assessment

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Introduction

’Time is Brain’. Acute Stroke is a medical emergency. Stroke is a major cause of death and disability, and patient outcomes depend on how quickly the blood flow can be restored to the damaged area of the brain. Stroke scales are standardized assessment tools used to identify Stroke and clear a path to reperfusion. Treatment options for stroke include thrombolytic medications that aim to dissolve the clot, and interventional endovascular procedures (similar to a cardiac catheterization) to remove it. Successful stroke care requires early recognition, transporting the patient to a designated stroke center, and early activation of a stroke team at the hospital.

Stroke Assessment Scales

Pre Hospital

Pre Hospital assessment and determination of stroke severity is a new concept, with the best scale yet to be determined. The Cincinnati and Los Angeles scales have been validated in hospital trials, but studies are mixed when applied by EMS . The RACE Scale had positive results when tested among paramedics in Spain , is being adopted by many EMS Systems in the United States, and more studies of it are underway.

Acute

Main role to measure deficits and stroke severity, which predicts patient discharge disposition. It provides a Standardized Neurological Exam, that can be utilised to monitor Neurological Status and can also be used to match patients to allow for comparison in clinical trials.

References

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