ABSTRACT
A stroke is defined as a focal (or global, as in subarachnoid haemorrhage) neurological deficit of abrupt onset, of non-traumatic origin which lasts more than 24h or which leads to death. A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) is qualitatively the same but signs and symptoms resolve within 24h. Stroke is the leading cause of brain injury in adults. It has an incidence of 400 per 100000 population per annum. The incidence shows marked age variation, being 2000 per 100000 in those aged over 85 years. Early death after stroke is usually due to complications of the cerebral injury itself. Around 30% of stroke patients die within a year of the onset of their symptoms. Nearly 50% of stroke survivors are left dependent, though the degree of dependency varies greatly.
