Lancet neurology
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Between 6.5% and 15.0% of all strokes occur in patients already in hospital, many of whom are there for surgical procedures or cardiac disorders. This important group of patients could potentially be assessed more rapidly than others and could be candidates for interventional therapies. However, delays in recognition and assessment are common, possibly related to comorbidities and the complexities of hospital practice. ⋯ In the postoperative setting, intra-arterial thrombolysis is feasible and reasonably safe in carefully selected patients. Experimental agents and the manipulation of physiological variables are other treatment possibilities that could be applied early in this group of patients. Increasing the awareness by hospital physicians of such interventions may be an important factor that reduces delays in assessment of patients who have stokes while in hospital.