A Practical Guide to Comprehensive Stroke Care

Book excerpt: Written for health professionals and managers involved in the planning or provision of stroke care, this book provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art overview of the evidence and practices that underpin high quality stroke care. It sets the scene by describing the epidemiology, trends and needs of stroke patients, followed by chapters on the prevention of stroke, investigation and management of TIAs (transient ischaemic attack), early management and thrombolysis, clinical management of acute stroke patients and rehabilitation. Each chapter is thematically-linked and provides a complete, up-to-date review of evidence, its implications for clinical practice, proven multidisciplinary models of delivering high quality care, organisation of services for greatest impact within cost constraints and emerging areas for future management of stroke patients. This book is unique as it covers areas such as palliative and end-of-life care for stroke patients, planning and provision of stroke services, benchmarking for quality of services and management of stroke patients in community settings. It will be a unique resource for anyone caring for stroke patients, regardless of discipline or level of expertise, and provides a quick and friendly compendium of evidence, good practice and practical hints on organising care.