[Acute therapy of stroke].

Stroke is a neurological emergency that makes immediate hospitalization mandatory. Basic medical management includes maintenance of arterial blood pressure at an adequately high level, provision of an optimal supply of oxygen, and correction of hyperglycemia, hyperthermia and hypovolemia. Systemic thrombolytic therapy with rt-PA can be applied only within the first three hours after onset of symptoms and when hemorrhage has been excluded by a cranial CT scan. Heparin and aspirin have no proven therapeutic action, and are used only for early secondary prophylaxis.