Stroke

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Western industrialized countries, with around 500 transient ischaemic attacks and 2400 new strokes occurring per one million inhabitants each year.

Many patients who recover from stroke need help with daily living and all have to be managed intensively by their neurologists and general practitioners.

Nowadays, due to the rapid progress of medical science, stroke is no longer a uniformly fateful disorder.

Powerful therapies are now available both for the treatment of acute stroke and for primary and secondary prevention. Because of the need for rapid treatment of acute stroke ('time is brain') and the multimodal approach to stroke prevention, interdisciplinary cooperation among several healthcare professionals (general practitioners, emergency medical services, internists, radiologists and neurologists) is very beneficial.

In writing this book, we have attempted to communicate a multidisciplinary, practical and effective approach to treating stroke, with algorithms based on scientific data and clinical experience, and illustrated by several pertinent case studies. The book also contains a comprehensive list of relevant drugs, with information on doses, efficacy and side effects, and we have referenced the book thoroughly throughout.

We hope you will find this book interesting and informative and that it will help your approach to clinical practice in this important area.