Cerebrovascular diseases
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Cerebrovascular diseases · Jan 1998
ReviewNeuroprotection as initial therapy in acute stroke. Third Report of an Ad Hoc Consensus Group Meeting. The European Ad Hoc Consensus Group.
Although a considerable body of scientific data is now available on neuroprotection in acute ischaemic stroke, this field is not yet established in clinical practice. At its third meeting, the European Ad Hoc Consensus Group considered the potential for neuroprotection in acute stroke and the practical problems attendant on the existence of a very limited therapeutic window before irreversible brain damage occurs, and came to the following conclusions. NEUROPROTECTANTS IN CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT: Convincing clinical evidence for an efficacious neuroprotective treatment in acute stroke is still required. ⋯ PHARMACO-ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF NEUROPROTECTANTS: The early increase in hospital cost associated with neuroprotectant therapy may be balanced by the shorter length of hospital stay and lesser degree of disability of the surviving patients. The overall direct financial cost is highly dependent on the number of patients eligible for neuroprotectant therapy, which is itself dependent on the length of the therapeutic window and the severity of potential side-effects. A treatment that achieves a good functional outcome is the most cost-effective approach.