18th August 2024

A 72-year-old woman is seen in A&E with neurological disturbance. She had been well earlier in the day

A 72-year-old woman is seen in A&E with neurological disturbance. She had been well earlier in the day but, whilst playing bridge, was noted to slump in her chair and drop her cards at approximately 11:30. She has a background of hypercholesterolaemia and hypertension but is independent for ADLs. She is alert but there is a dense weakness of her left hand side and she is unable to tell when you are touching her left arm and leg. She is able to speak but her words are slurred and she also does not seem to notice you when you stand on her left hand side. Her blood pressure is 200/95, heart rate 86 and blood sugar level 8.0. She has a CT head and CTA which demonstrate no haemorrhage and a hyperdensity in the right M1 branch. It is 13:00 when she is assessed. What should be the next step in the patient’s management?

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.