Care pathways are essential tools in the evaluation and therapy processes.
Every stroke care center has the responsibility to match its resources with generally agreed upon guidelines for each of the clinical presentations of cerebrovascular disease and to show that its patterns of care are effective and efficient. The early components of the pathway should be designed to protect the brain until the pathogenesis of injury is defined, and then to apply therapy appropriate to the pathogenesis and severity of the injury. At present, one of the greatest values of pathway-guided care is speed. The most powerful therapies for ischemic stroke are most effective only within the first few hours of the ischemia, and careful planning is necessary if the evaluation is to be completed in time. Pathways should plan care beyond initial decisions and management, making most effective use of resources and allowing care to be tailored to the needs of the individual patient.