[Acute ischemic stroke].

Abstract

Therapeutic nihilism has been overcome by the results of phase III trials of intravenous t-PA with 3-hours time window. The integrated team approach can increase the number of patients treated rapidly, permit closer monitoring of patients, potentially increase the safety of thrombolysis, and streamline diagnosis and therapy. The results of randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses demonstrated that stroke unit treatment made mortality lower, hospitalization shorter, good outcome and discharge to the home greater as compared to treatment in general medical units. In a nation-wide survey in Japan, only 3% of hospitals had a stroke care unit, a specialized unit for acute stroke patients. In-hospital mortality was significantly lower in SCU than in ICU or general medical wards. In patients with moderate to severe neurological deficits at admission (NIHSS score 7 or more), good outcome (mRS score 0 to 2) was also more frequently observed in SCU than in other wards. We have to reestablish the systems of acute stroke management. It will be achieved by obtaining the approval of the use of t-PA, organizing stroke care units in major hospitals, and assessing their effects not only on patients' outcome but also on the quality and costs of care by their families, medical personnels and our public societies.