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Speedy finger-prick tests to diagnose strokes trialled in Cambridgeshire

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90% Informative

Tests are designed to rapidly identify whether someone suspected of having a stroke has suffered a large vessel occlusion ( LVO ), where a blood clot blocks a major artery in the brain.

LVOs account for about a third of strokes but are responsible for 95% of disabilities and deaths.

A patient’s chances of recovery are markedly improved if they undergo a thrombectomy procedure to manually remove the clot within hours of symptom onset.