<P> Anticoagulants, when used following stroke, should not be stopped for dental procedures . </P> <P> If studies show carotid artery stenosis, and the person has a degree of residual function on the affected side, carotid endarterectomy (surgical removal of the stenosis) may decrease the risk of recurrence if performed rapidly after stroke . </P> <P> Aspirin reduces the overall risk of recurrence by 13% with greater benefit early on . Definitive therapy within the first few hours is aimed at removing the blockage by breaking the clot down (thrombolysis), or by removing it mechanically (thrombectomy). The philosophical premise underlying the importance of rapid stroke intervention was summed up as Time is Brain! in the early 1990s . Years later, that same idea, that rapid cerebral blood flow restoration results in fewer brain cells dying, has been proved and quantified . </P> <P> Tight blood sugar control in the first few hours does not improve outcomes and may cause harm . High blood pressure is also not typically lowered as this has not been found to be helpful . Cerebrolysin, a mix of pig brain tissue used to treat acute ischemic stroke in many Asian and European countries, does not improve outcomes and may increase the risk of severe adverse events . </P>

What are the characteristics of a completed stroke