Context

The recommendations in this document are better seen as guidelines rather than rigid rules. They are not meant to supplant clinical judgment and consideration of unique patient circumstances.

Every attempt has been made to keep these recommendations up to date; however, given the rapid evolution of stroke research, late-breaking evidence may not be reflected. For this update, the literature review completion date was June 30, 2010.

It was not feasible to present the expert panel with all available evidence, and therefore the primary evidence was initially screened and evaluated by the task groups. Wherever possible, late-breaking evidence was reviewed by the task group leaders to identify areas where the current recommendations might be significantly altered.