The prevention and management of stroke.

The Government's Health of the nation strategy demands a reduction in the level of ill-health and death caused by stroke. This review describes the present state of knowledge on the prevention and management of stroke. Effective intervention in stroke has a number of major implications, including: health education for the public; education of health professionals (general practitioners, consultants and others); availability of guidelines and protocols; access to specialist advice, investigations and their interpretation, and rapid treatment, including surgery; availability of specially trained nurses for screening and monitoring; and availability of specialist multidisciplinary teams in hospitals and the community.