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Checklist of brain scans could help improve stroke outcomes

A new research funded by the Medical Research Council and the British Heart Foundation indicates that individuals experiencing a haemorrhagic stroke could be helped by 4 simple checks of their brain scans. These checks can identify those at risk of further bleeding and thereby allow close monitoring of such individuals.

The study led by researchers from University of Edinburgh evaluated data from global studies involving >5000 patients. They determined 4 factors that could assist clinicians in predicting whether patients with intracerebral haemorrhage were likely to experience further bleeding. These include the size of the bleed and whether the patients used medications such as aspirin or warfarin.

The researchers also looked at the utility of CT angiography for predicting an individual’s risk of ongoing bleeding. "Incorporating the 4 checks into patient care could help to improve survival, especially in low or middle-income countries, where patients may not have access to CT angiography," the authors said.


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