Time matters greatly in acute stroke care

Abstract

Stroke is a leading cause of morbidity worldwide. ‘Time is brain’ is a slogan that characterises contemporary stroke care. Rapid evaluation of stroke begins with community education to better recognise the signs and symptoms of stroke, an organised system of care by first responders and the emergency department, prompt evaluation by the stroke team, and the timely administration of reperfusion including intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). In their new study [1], Novak et al. have shown that a shorter time from stroke onset to groin puncture is associated with better recanalisation. This underlines the crucial importance of time in stroke care.