Trends in emergency department visits for ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack: United States, 2001-2011.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. About 87% of all strokes are ischemic strokes. Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) cause similar symptoms, but the blockage of blood flow to the brain is temporary. However, about one-third of people who have a TIA will have a stroke within 1 year (3). Emergency departments play a critical role in the diagnosis and management of ischemic stroke and TIA. The evaluation of these conditions in the emergency department is similar, so they are combined for this analysis. This report presents recent trends in visits to emergency departments for ischemic stroke or TIA.