General management of patients with ischaemic stroke: clinical features and epidemiology.

The management of patients with acute ischaemic stroke includes treatment of stroke itself, the management of medical problems, and the early initiation of rehabilitation. Current research focuses more on specific stroke treatment, such as reperfusion or prevention of extension of ischaemic brain damage, than on the management of general conditions and the treatment of medical complications associated with acute stroke. At present, a better prognosis of stroke is more often the consequence of good general management than of a specific therapy. General management of stroke includes cardiac and pulmonary care, fluid and ion balance restoration, metabolic maintenance, blood pressure control and prevention of bed sores and phlebitis. Treatment of elevated intracranial pressure and temperature control must also be considered in some cases. Several points, however, remain controversial, such as the treatment of arterial hypertension and the management of cardiac arrhythmia.