Acute Stroke Is Characterised By The Rapid Appearance (Usually Over Minutes) Of A Focal Deficit Of Brain Function

KENYA MEDICAL TRAINING COLLEGE NURSING ACUTE STROKE Acute stroke is characterised by the rapid appearance (usually over minutes) of a focal deficit of brain function, most commonly a hemiplegia with or without signs of focal higher cerebrjal dysfunction (such as aphasia), hemisensory loss, visual field defect or brain-stem deficit.Clinical classification of strokeSeveral terms have been used to classify strokes, often based on duration and evolution of symptoms. Transient ischaemic attack (TIA). This describes strokes in which symptoms resolve within 24 hours-an arbitrary cut off which has little value in practice apart from perhaps indicating that underlying cerebral haemorrhage or extensive cerebral infarction is extremely unlikely. The term TIA traditionally also includes patients with transient monocular blindness (also known as amaurosis fugax), usually due to a vascular occlusion in the retina. Transient symptoms, such as syncope, amnesia, confusion and dizziness, which do not reflect focal cerebral dysfunction, are often mistakenly attributed to TIA In epidemiological studies, the term stroke is reserved for those events in which symptoms last more than 24 hours. The differential diagnosis of patients with symptoms lasting a few minutes or hours is similar to those