State of the Art:
Acute Ischemic Stroke Management

Monday, September 5, 2005

Nice, France

This symposium was supported in part through an unrestricted educational grant
from AstraZeneca Neuroscience.

Future Therapeutic Modalities for Acute Ischemic Stroke:
Neuroprotective Agents, Intravascular Lysis, and More


William Barsan, MD
Professor
University of Michigan
United States

The Impact of Designated Stroke Centers:
The European and American Experiences


E. Bradshaw Bunney, MD, FACEP
Associate Professor
University of Illinois at Chicago
United States

Evaluating ED Patients with a Transient Ischemic Attack:
Inpatient vs. Outpatient Strategies


Michael Ross, MD
Associate Professor
Wayne State University School of Medicine
United States

Background

Ischemic stroke and other cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs) occur frequently, requiring urgent diagnostic testing and therapy for these patients in the Emergency Department. Because CVAs occur frequently, and because they cause significant disability, there have been consistent and successful enhancements in stroke management.

Dr. Barsan will discuss some of the advances in clot management, including the option to utilize thrombolytic therapy after the initial three hour window and the use of clot retrieval devices. Other stroke therapies that are currently being tested in the clinical setting, including neuroprotectants, will also be discussed.

In order to optimize the care of stroke patients, stroke center designation has been implemented. These centers allow not only facilitate stroke patient prehospital triage; they may also enhance the care that these patients receive because they are treated in dedicated stroke hospitals. Dr. Bunney will discuss the impact of stroke center designation on the care of acute CVA patients.

Lastly, there has been a move to standardize and expedite the care of patients who present to the Emergency Department with transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). Dr. Ross, who received an FERNE/EMF Neurological Emergencies Research Grant, will discuss his clinical trial that compared an outpatient protocol for the evaluation of TIA to traditional hospital admission.

 

Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the program, participants should be able to: