By: Ewgenia Barow, Fachärztin, and Helena Guerreiro, Fachärztin für Radiologie, Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurologie, Kopf- und Neurozentrum, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
After a smooth start yesterday, during this second day the overall experience of knowledge exchange through live discussions and interactive case presentations, continued full speed ahead, together with an increasingly strong global team spirit in the battle against stroke.
Treatment of ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion is not always simple and many times we face difficult decisions. Low ASPECTS, low NIHSS, tandem lesions, drip-and-ship vs mothership, aspiration vs stent retriever or both are only a few examples of the discussed topics during the day. We were confronted with the detailed evidence for on-label and off-label treatments and we discussed the dilemmas of restricting or not treatment in several scenarios. In particular, the smaller live sessions were a unique opportunity to interact with the speakers and to participate in interesting discussions, get to know different ideas and points of view, and share personal experiences.
As residents in Neurology and Neuroradiology we were really pleased to see that in different countries, despite the different cultures and different backgrounds, we are all doing as much as we can to improve the treatment of stroke patients, counting on a multidisciplinary team to decide what is best for that patient in particular.
Finally, we are thankful to be part of this experience and we would like to praise the organization for keeping up with the great work in the midst of difficult times. We hope many others can be part of it again in the future, hopefully in person and in a COVID-free world!
