Rivkin Michael J, Bernard Timothy J, Dowling Michael M, Amlie-Lefond Catherine
Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Department of Pediatrics, Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center, Aurora, Colorado; Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado.
Pediatr Neurol. 2016 Mar;56:8-17. doi: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2016.01.016. Epub 2016 Jan 21.
Stroke in children carries lasting morbidity. Once recognized, it is important to evaluate and treat children with acute stroke efficiently and accurately. All children should receive neuroprotective measures. It is reasonable to consider treatment with advanced thrombolytic and endovascular agents. Delivery of such care requires purposeful institutional planning and organization in pediatric acute care centers. Primary stroke centers established for adults provide an example of the multidisciplinary approach that can be applied to the evaluation and treatment of children who present with acute stroke. The organizational infrastructure of these centers can be employed and adapted for treatment of children with acute stroke. It is likely that care for children with acute stroke can best be delivered by regional pediatric primary stroke centers dedicated to the care of children with pediatric stroke.
