Use of CT/CT angiography (CTA) as soon as possible in patients presenting with transient ischemic attacks (TIA) or minor stroke predicts risk of recurrent stroke and clinical outcome, according to a study published online inStroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Although MRIs are frequently used for early assessment, CT scanners are usually more readily available to the emergency department, said the study authors. The median waiting time for diffusion-weighted MRI was 17.5 hours, but for CTA imaging, the wait was only 5.5 hours. In addition, CTA does not take much time, adding only five minutes to the standard CT brain scan.