Study: 'mini strokes should be treated immediately with aspirin'

Conclusion The study supports current recommended practice that people with a TIA or ischaemic stroke caused by a blood clot are treated with aspirin as soon as possible. NHS experts are considering whether to recommend that you take aspirin yourself while waiting for medical help. The reason this isn't recommended at present is that some people will have had a haemorrhagic (bleeding) stroke, and aspirin can make the bleeding worse. For people who've had a full stroke, an urgent brain scan is usually performed to exclude bleeding as a cause and check it's safe to proceed with anti-clotting treatment. The risk of transient symptoms being caused by bleeding is much smaller, but it is possible. Until official guidelines are produced – NHS England are reportedly considering the report's findings – current advice still stands. If you are experiencing the symptoms of a stroke, the most important thing is to call for an ambulance immediately.  The new study included thousands of people from high-quality RCTs, so the results are likely to be reliable, although there are some limitations. Most of the studies included were conducted 20 or 30 years ago, and the medical treatment of stroke has improved since then, so the results might be different if the trials were run again now. People who have had a stroke nowadays are more likely to be treated urgently, although too many people with minor strokes or TIAs don't seek help quickly enough. This analysis would be str...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Neurology Medication Source Type: news