ABSTRACT
Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United Kingdom and the third leading cause of death in most Western countries. Patients who have had a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) have a two-day stroke risk of approximately 4%, a seven-day stroke risk of approximately 5.5%, a 30-day stroke risk of approximately 7.5% and a 90-day stroke risk of approximately 9%. The majority of TIAs resolve within one hour and episodes of transient monocular blindness commonly last less than five minutes. A TIA lasting several hours could be due to a complete cerebral infarction or a small cerebral haemorrhage. If a patient is outside the surgery or ringing for an appointment with symptoms suggestive of TIA, a validated fast alcohol screen test tool should be used. The percentage of patients with stroke or TIA who have a record of blood pressure in the notes in the preceding 15 months.
