ONCONTRAST COMPUTED TOmography (CT) has been the standard imaging modality for the initial evaluation of patients presenting with acute stroke symptoms. 1,2 The primary diagnostic advantage of CT in the hyperacute phase (0 to 6 hours) is its ability to rule out See also p 1883 and Patient Page.

About 10% of patients eligible for acute reperfusion therapy excluded on the basis of mild or rapidly improving symptoms show early neurologic deterioration with infarct expansion within 48 hours, and about 20% show poor outcome at discharge. Persisting large-vessel occlusion substantially increases the risk of early worsening and poor functional outcome.

URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02239640.