Acute ischemic stroke: management approach

Abstract

A stroke, or brain attack, happens when blood flow to the brain is stopped. It is an emergency situation. The brain needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients in order to work well. If blood supply is stopped even for a short time, this can cause problems. Brain cells begin to die after just a few minutes without blood or oxygen. Stroke is the second most common cause of death worldwide and the most important cause of physical weakness, with a growing occurrence in developing countries. Ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke which occurs due to arterial block and managed by fast reperfusion with endovascular thrombectomy and intravenous thrombolysis. The first step in stroke management is initial identification of patients with stroke and triage to centers accomplished of transporting the suitable treatment, as fast as conceivable. Mobile stroke units, tele stroke and artificial intelligence are technologies playing an important role in recognizing and treating stroke. Stroke system-of-care models remain to streamline the distribution of definitive revascularization in the age of mechanical thrombectomy. Overall, in the present review, we emphasized the pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of acute ischemic stroke (AIS).