1 Feb 2023 • In light of the difficulties faced by hospitals with limited resources, the American Heart Association has released a new scientific statement that gives a standardised method for quickly evaluating patients who have a suspected Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA).

TIAs are "warning shots" of a possible stroke and necessitate urgent assessment, said Dr. Hardik Amin, Yale New Haven (Conn.) Hospital's Medical Stroke director and writing committee chair. The scientific statement's main objective is to assist doctors in accurately risk-stratifying patients with suspected TIA and identifying which patients should be admitted to the hospital and which patients may be safely discharged.

One in five patients who experience a TIA are predicted to go on to suffer a full-blown stroke within three months, with nearly half of these strokes occurring within two days. Since many people with TIAs no longer have symptoms when they visit the emergency room, it can be difficult to diagnose them. There isn't a confirming test either. Limited resources and access to stroke specialists in rural centers may exacerbate these challenges.

Source: MDedge| Read full story