Stroke beyond the first hours: the role of monitoring

Abstract

It is now recognized that a specialized multidisciplinary team, focusing on the care of stroke patients, leads to lower mortality and better outcomes. The positive effect of stroke units in regard to the outcome of stroke patients seems to be related to the careful monitoring of clinical parameters and clinical emergencies. The monitoring of physiological parameters in the acute phase of stroke can be considered an important management tool that can improve significantly the quality of care provided. It allows timely detection and correction of complications and consequently has a beneficial effect on outcome.