Aim: To improve delivery of acute therapies for acute ischaemic stroke (AIS).
Method: We identified factors influencing the speed of diagnosis and delivery of acute therapies in a prospective cohort of 21 children with suspected AIS (eight with AIS, 13 stroke mimics) and explored them in a retrospective cohort with confirmed AIS.
Results: Approximately half of the prospective and total AIS cohorts presented with acute, sustained hemiparesis, and were diagnosed relatively quickly.