What is the primary concern when managing a patient with a suspected stroke?

In the management of a patient with a suspected stroke, ensuring rapid transport for assessment and treatment is paramount. Strokes, particularly ischemic strokes, are time-sensitive emergencies. The phrase "time is brain" is often used in emergency medicine to highlight the importance of early intervention in minimizing the potential for irreversible brain damage. Reducing the time between the onset of symptoms and treatment can significantly improve patient outcomes.

While assessing the time of onset of symptoms is crucial for treatment decisions—such as eligibility for thrombolytic therapy—getting the patient to a facility that can provide appropriate care is the primary focus during initial management. Prompt transport also ensures that other critical interventions can be initiated as soon as possible by the receiving medical team.

Conducting a full neurological assessment is certainly important in understanding the extent of the stroke and planning further treatment, but it should be done in conjunction with transport. Pain relief may be necessary for comfort, but it does not address the vital need for immediate stroke intervention. Thus, while multiple aspects of care are important, the urgency of getting the patient to definitive care takes precedence.