TIA

In patients with minor ischemic stroke or high-risk TIA, those who received a combination of clopidogrel and aspirin had a lower risk of major ischemic events but a higher risk of major haemorrhage at 90 days than those who received aspirin alone. However, the relative reduction in recurrent stroke occurred almost entirely during the first week, whereas bleeding events (most of which were not intracranial) were distributed fairly evenly throughout 90-day follow-up. Thus, it appears that one can maximize benefit and minimize harm by confining DAPT to just a few weeks 

• TIA is defined as a brief episode of neurologic dysfunction with no permanent infarction.
• Head CT noncontrast is not reliable for acute ischemia, but it can find alternative conditions necessitating management. MRI with DWI displays greater diagnostic ability.
• Risk scores that predict future stroke are not reliable when used alone.
• Patients are typically admitted for inpatient management due to this risk of future stroke.

 

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Cornerstones of treatment for TIA revolve around reducing the risk of future events with blood pressure control, lipid control, and antiplatelet agents. Blood pressure should be maintained at 140/90 with a thiazide diuretic and/or an ACE inhibitor. Statins should be given to keep LDL of under 100mg/dL or 70mg/dL in high risk patients. Niacin or gemfibrozil are recommended to maintain HDL above 40mg/dL. Antiplatelet agents include aspirin with or without dipyridamole, or clopidogrel alone.