The term 'Stroke" was orginally used in the medical sense in the 1500s when it was shortened from "The Stroke of God's Hand".
Nowdays several other perpetrators also exist...including new anticoagulants, holistic spinal manipulations and embolic entities.
Rapid diagnosis...determining the aetiology....initiating neuroprotective resuscitation...and of course Doing No Harm...remain the cornerstones of our approach.
However a number of contentious issues exist...
http://emergencymedicinecases.com/transient-ischemic-attack/
http://emergencymedicinecases.com/episode-17-part-1-emergency-stroke-controversies/
http://emergencymedicinecases.com/episode-17-part-2-stroke-dabigitran-intraranial-hemorrhage/
http://emcrit.org/podcasts/tpa-for-ischemic-stroke-debate/
http://blog.ercast.org/acute-ischemic-stroke/
http://embasic.org/stroke-and-transient-ischemic-attack-tia/