Advancing human health in Iowa and beyond

Updated guidelines on caring for patients affected by stroke were created under the leadership of a UI Neurosciences expert at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

The new guidelines appeared in Stroke: the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Neurologist Harold Adams, MD, who chaired the review panel, said intravenous delivery of an approved clot-busting drug remains the most beneficial intervention for patients with ischemic stroke.

Ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke, is caused by a clot that blocks blood flow to the brain.

The guidelines focus on the crucial first hours after onset.

“We are pushing for the fastest possible treatment because ‘time is brain,’” Adams says. “For every minute that passes, the likelihood of a poorer outcome increases.”

The new guidelines suggest emergency medical personnel perform quick stroke assessment, draw blood, and alert the hospital that a patient with a suspected stroke is coming. Patients should be transported to the nearest “appropriate” hospital for emergency care even if that means bypassing the closest facility or calling for air evacuation.

—Tom Moore