Resumen

ROSALES-BRAVO, Luis Guillermo. Isquemia cerebral transitoria y riesgo de infarto cerebral isquémico. Acta méd. costarric [online]. 2006, vol.48, n.1, pp.5-11. ISSN 0001-6002.

Stroke is the first cause of neurological hospitalization in the world. Costa Rica is not the exception, in our hospitals the amount of patients who are admitted with ischemic stroke increases every day. This condition is more common due to the high prevalence of chronic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia, besides smoking and the high costarrican life expectancy, are all considered risk factors for development of a stroke. Approximately 80% of the strokes are ischemic in nature secondary to an acute arterial occlusion of an specific vascular territory, the remaining 20% are of hemorrhagic origin. The neurological impairment secondary to strokes, in these patients is the main cause of chronic disability and is related with high morbility and mortality. Although many individuals have an acute ischemic stroke, other patients will have 1 or more events of transient ischemic attacks, indicating that they are at risk for an ischemic stroke in a brief period of time. This article reviews the current medical knowledge, and is written especially for general practitioners and emergency physicians, so they can recognize the patients at risk and prevent them from having an ischemic stroke. Transient ischemic attacks must be considered a neurological emergency.

Palabras clave : cerebral isquemia; neurologic emergency; stroke.