NINDS: Stroke Proceedings: Preface

Proceedings of a National Symposium on
Rapid Identification and Treatment of Acute Stroke
December 12-13, 1996

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Preface

I am pleased to present these proceedings from the December 1996 National Symposium on Rapid Identification and Treatment of Acute Stroke, sponsored by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. This document describes how we can change our health care system to create a Chain of Recovery necessary for treating patients with acute brain attack. The ideas discussed represent the consensus of a wide array of health professionals who for the first time can now offer effective treatment for acute stroke.

Many decades of painstaking research bring us to this point in time. Basic laboratory research, animal studies, and clinical trials all contributed to the accumulation of knowledge that led to the development of the stroke treatment now available. Currently available treatments have the potential to spare many ischemic stroke patients from a life of disability. More research to refine these treatments will guide us to even more effective interventions for the growing population of stroke-prone individuals.

A key to success in implementing the steps outlined in this volume will be cooperation among professionals from many disciplines. These include neurologists, neurosurgeons, emergency physicians and nurses, intensivists, emergency medical services personnel, radiologists and radiology technicians, epidemiologists, public educators, and others. To offer the best care for stroke, hospitals across the nation must develop Stroke Teams capable of responding immediately to the needs of stroke patients.

I am most grateful to the dozens of Partners who join us in this new era of stroke treatment. In addition to advising the NINDS during the symposium planning process, the Partners will play a pivotal role in helping the Institute disseminate the conference recommendations to those on the front lines of health care delivery.

On behalf of the NINDS staff, I am proud to present the medical community with this blueprint for achieving success in the treatment of all patients who experience stroke.

Zach W. Hall, Ph.D.
Director
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

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Last Edited: February 10, 2000

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892