Stroke

Missed opportunities highlight need for improved maternal stroke recognition

February 4, 2026

A retrospective review of 135 pregnant or postpartum patients (mean age, 32.4 years) treated for confirmed arterial ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, or cerebral venous thrombosis across 5 U.S. stroke centers found that 27% experienced a missed diagnostic opportunity (MDO). Those with MDO were more likely to have hemorrhagic strokes. Most individuals with MDO (92%) had at least one medical encounter in the preceding month, commonly with obstetric or emergency clinicians. Among patients with MDO, contributing factors included failure to recognize symptoms (84%) and not obtaining appropriate neuroimaging (81%), despite typical presentations in 95% of cases.

Clinical takeaway: In pregnant and postpartum patients, maintain a low threshold for neuroimaging when symptoms could reflect stroke—even when presentations are nonspecific—to reduce missed diagnoses and improve maternal outcomes.

Source:

Haghighi N, et al. (2026, January 26). Stroke. Identifying Missed Diagnostic Opportunities in Maternal Stroke. Stroke. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41587284/