Clinical Aspects of Stroke Flashcards
(39 cards)
How many people have a stroke each year in the UK?
Over 100,000 people.
What is the frequency of stroke occurrence in the UK?
One stroke every 5 minutes.
How many people in the UK are living with the effects of stroke or TIA?
Around 1.3 million people.
Define stroke.
Rapidly developing clinical signs of focal (or global) disturbance of cerebral function lasting ≥24 hours or leading to death, of vascular origin.
Define TIA (Transient Ischaemic Attack).
Sudden focal neurological loss with full recovery within 24 hours due to inadequate perfusion in carotid or vertebrobasilar arteries.
How is a TIA different from stroke?
TIA resolves fully within 24 hours without permanent damage.
What are the three phases of stroke evaluation?
Urgent assessment for hyperacute treatments
Confirmation of ischaemic stroke
Determination of aetiology for secondary prevention
What are stroke mimics?
Non-vascular conditions that present like stroke (e.g., seizures, migraine).
What are stroke chameleons?
Strokes that appear like other non-stroke conditions.
What percentage of suspected TIA referrals in the UK turn out not to be TIA/stroke?
30–50%.
What percentage of suspected strokes in A&E are not strokes?
About 20%.
What are typical stroke symptoms?
Weakness, sensory loss, speech disturbance, visual disturbance, vertigo, imbalance.
What type of onset suggests stroke?
Abrupt and maximal at onset.
What are red flags for a mimic?
Younger age, no vascular risk factors, unclear onset, progressive or fluctuating symptoms, positive symptoms (e.g., tingling).
Name three pre-hospital stroke assessment tools.
FAST, BE-FAST, FAST-O.
Name two hospital stroke assessment tools.
ROSIER, NIHSS.
Which stroke symptoms are often missed by emergency services?
Speech issues, dizziness, nausea/vomiting, visual changes, altered mental state.
What are the 4 Ps in stroke imaging?
Parenchyma, Pipes (vessels), Perfusion, Penumbra.
What is the most accurate imaging for early haemorrhage detection?
Non-contrast CT within 5–7 days.
What imaging modality is most sensitive for early infarction?
MRI
What are false negatives in DWI MRI commonly associated with?
Brainstem lacunar infarcts and small deep grey matter infarcts.
What percentage of strokes are ischaemic?
80–85%.
What percentage are haemorrhagic?
10–20%, but they account for 50% of stroke mortality and disability.
Name common causes of ischaemic stroke.
Large artery thrombosis/embolism, cardioembolism, small vessel occlusion, other causes, or undetermined.
