Emergency Medicine Journal ((better)) May 2026

The stroke consultant, Dr. Khan, arrived. “This is a large vessel occlusion. Thrombolysis alone may not recanalise. We need mechanical thrombectomy, but our nearest centre is 45 minutes away by ambulance.”

Emergency Medicine Journal – Narrative Case Series Presentation It was a Tuesday afternoon in a busy UK district general hospital. The department was in its usual post-lunch chaos when triage flagged a 58-year-old man, Mr. Patel, as “priority 2 – possible stroke.” The paramedic handover was clipped: “Found by his wife at home, last known well 45 minutes ago. Sudden right-sided weakness, slurred speech, and facial droop. GCS 14. BP 185/100, HR 88, SpO₂ 97% on air. Blood glucose 6.2 mmol/L.” emergency medicine journal

Author: Dr. A. Rivers, Emergency Department, City General Hospital The stroke consultant, Dr