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Many Stroke Patients Get Wrong Therapy in Hospitals |
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MONDAY, July 26 (HealthDayNews) --New research suggests that up to 65 percent of stroke patients are likely to be treated for hypertension in their first four days in the hospital, despite current guidelines that say such treatment can extend and worsen stroke symptoms.
The report appears in the July 27 issue of Neurology.
The American Stroke Association recommends against treating all but the most severe cases of hypertension in the first few days following a stroke. Studies have found that lowering elevated blood pressure in stroke victims through medication can cause more damage both short- and long-term.
In the research, doctors reviewed medical records of 154 patients admitted for stroke at a community-based teaching hospital in Minnesota.
They found that only 26 percent of patients who were treated for hypertension actually met the guidelines for treatment.
More information
The National Institutes of Health has more about stroke.
(SOURCES: American Academy of Neurology, news release, July 26, 2004)
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