Runciman v University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust [2024] EWHC 1800 (KB) (12 July 2024)
Intracranial vascular occlusion may be arterial or venous; the two are pathologically and anatomically distinct. The treatments are different. The clinical presentations of the two conditions may be similar; the initial radiological investigation may not be diagnostically helpful.
This case demonstrates the conflicting considerations in management of acute arterial occlusive stroke between early treatment and early diagnosis. Generally, the earlier the treatment the better the outcome, but the later the diagnosis the greater its confidence.
Management decision may depend on presumed diagnosis (see paragraph 25).
This case shows the dilemma that may confront the physician in decision making that commonly arise emergency clinical medicine
