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Background An increased rate of thrombotic events has been associated to Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) with a variable rate of acute stroke. Our aim is to uncover the rate of acute stroke in COVID-19 patients and identify those cases in which a possible causative relationship could exist. Methods We performed a single-center analysis of a prospective mandatory database. We studied all patients with confirmed COVID-19 and stroke diagnoses from March 2nd to April 30th. Demographic, clinical, and imaging data were prospectively collected. Final diagnosis was determined after full diagnostic work-up unless impossible due to death. Results Of 2050 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, 21 (1.02%) presented an acute ischemic stroke 21 and 4 (0.2%) suffered an intracranial hemorrhage. After the diagnostic work-up, in 60.0% ischemic and all hemorrhagic strokes patients an etiology non-related with COVID-19 was identified. Only in 6 patients the stroke cause was considered possibly related to COVID-19, all of them required mechanical ventilation before stroke onset. Ten patients underwent endovascular treatment; compared with patients who underwent EVT in the same period, COVID-19 was an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality (50% versus 15%; Odds Ratio, 6.67; 95% CI, 1.1-40.4; p 0.04). Conclusions The presence of acute stroke in patients with COVID-19 was below 2% and most of them previously presented established stroke risk factors. Without other potential cause, stroke was an uncommon complication and exclusive of patients with a severe pulmonary injury. The presence of COVID-19 in patients who underwent EVT was an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality.

Resumen Objetivo Proporcionar un conjunto de recomendaciones actualizadas y basadas en la evidencia disponible para el manejo del ictus agudo. Nuestro objetivo es proporcionar una base para el desarrollo de los protocolos internos de cada centro, sirviendo de referencia para los cuidados de enfermeria. Metodos Revision de evidencias disponibles sobre los cuidados del ictus agudo. Se han consultado las guias nacionales e internacionales mas recientes. Los niveles de evidencia y grados de recomendacion se han basado en la clasificacion del Centro de Medicina Basada en la Evidencia de Oxford. Resultados Se describen la atencion y los cuidados del ictus agudo en la fase prehospitalaria, el funcionamiento de codigo ictus, la atencion por el equipo de ictus a la llegada al hospital, los tratamientos de reperfusion y sus limitaciones, el ingreso en la Unidad de Ictus, los cuidados de enfermeria en la Unidad de Ictus y el alta hospitalaria. Conclusiones Estas pautas proporcionan recomendaciones generales basadas en la evidencia actualmente disponible para guiar a los profesionales que atienden a pacientes con ictus agudo. En algunos casos, sin embargo, existen datos limitados demostrando la necesidad de continuar investigando sobre el manejo del ictus agudo.