Inpatient Management of Acute Stroke of Unknown Type in Resource-Limited Settings
Morgan L. Prust, Deanna Saylor, Stanley Zimba, Fred Stephen Sarfo, Gentle S. Shrestha, Aaron Berkowitz, Nirali Vora
Abstract
Stroke is the second leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with a disproportionate burden on low- and middle-income countries. Critical elements of guideline-based stroke care developed in high-income countries are not applicable to resource-limited settings, where lack of access to neuroimaging prevents clinicians from distinguishing between ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage, requiring challenging clinical decision-making, particularly in the acute setting. We discuss strategies for acute inpatient management of stroke of unknown type with a focus on blood pressure management and antiplatelet therapy when neuroimaging is unavailable, and review some of the challenges and strategies for successfully implementing stroke unit care in resource-limited health care settings.