PA Medical News about Acute Stroke Diagnosis

Become a Member Today!
Register

Most Viewed Abstracts

1. Report Shows Shift in Starting Salaries for Physicians

2. Recommendations on the use of 18F-FDG PET in oncology

3. Use of Antiemetic Agents in Acute Gastroenteritis

4. Gene expression signatures, clinicopathological features, and individualized therapy in breast cancer

5. AHA Guidelines on Cardiac CT for Assessing Coronary Artery Disease

Your Article Summary

See Latest Articles

(Click the title below to leave the MDLinx Network and go to the Journal's Website)

Acute Stroke Diagnosis
American Family Physician, 07/02/09

Yew KS et al. - Stroke can be categorized as ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Awakening with or experiencing the abrupt onset of focal neurologic deficits is the hallmark of ischemic stroke diagnosis. The most common presenting symptoms for ischemic stroke are difficulty with speech and weakness on one half of the body. Many stroke mimics exist; two of the most common are a postictal seizure and hypoglycemia. Taking a detailed history and performing ancillary testing will usually exclude stroke mimics. Neuroimaging is required to differentiate ischemic stroke from intracerebral hemorrhage, as well as to diagnose entities other than stroke. The choice of neuroimaging depends on its availability, eligibility for acute stroke interventions, and the presence of patient contraindications. Subarachnoid hemorrhage presents most commonly with severe headache and may require analysis of cerebrospinal fluid when neuroimaging is not definitive. Public education of common presenting stroke symptoms is needed for patients to activate emergency medical services as soon as possible after the onset of stroke.

<< Previous
Incorporation of the Competencies for the Physician Assistant...

Next >>
Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group review: Acute gout