Acute ischemic stroke management: medical management.

The initial management of a patient with suspected stroke necessitates a rapid and focused evaluation. Establishing the time of symptom onset, performing a focused neurologic examination, and interpreting ancillary tests facilitates delivery of acute stroke therapies to eligible patients. This review emphasizes the fundamentals of urgent stroke evaluation and evidence-based acute ischemic stroke therapies. Results from randomized clinical trials of intravenous thrombolysis, glucose management, and blood pressure management in acute ischemic stroke patients will be highlighted. External ultrasound as an adjunct to intravenous thrombolysis and treatment of those patients that wake up with stroke symptoms will also be discussed.