Module 10: Maternal Stroke and Acute Cerebrovascular Disease
Maternal stroke is a significant cause of severe maternal morbidity and mortality. While the treatment of acute stroke in the nonpregnant population has been revolutionized in recent years through thrombolytics and mechanical thrombectomy, pregnant and postpartum people have historically been excluded from acute stroke clinical trials. Thus, there is a paucity of high-quality evidence to guide the management of maternal stroke. This lesson describes maternal stroke risk factors and subtypes, reviews the typical signs and symptoms of maternal stroke, and proposes an approach to the “OB Stroke Alert” to be used in the out-of-hospital, emergency triage, and inpatient settings. It also briefly reviews special considerations in post-stroke care for pregnant or postpartum people.
