1. Introduction
The target of this course is doctors. Also bring some light to patients and their families. You have just been called to the emergency department to evaluate and treat a possible stroke patient. You ask yourself: What should I do first? How do I know it is a stroke? Is it too late to reverse the damage, and if not, how do I do it? How do I make sure that I do things correctly during the first day or so to prevent worsening? This course is designed to answer these real-life questions.
Stroke is the most common neurological emergency, and, because effective treatment is available that must be started within minutes, most acute neurological presentations should be assumed to be a stroke until proven otherwise by history, exam, or radiographic testing. Unfortunately, there is not a quick and easy laboratory or clinical test to determine for sure that the patient lying in front of you is having a stroke, so an accurate history and exam are essential.
