ModuleDraft

Internist module: Carotid/intracranial atherosclerosis after stroke — outpatient follow-up + referral checklist

An internist-focused module to manage post-stroke atherosclerotic disease longitudinally: ensure imaging results are known, stenosis severity is documented, referral pathways are closed, and risk factor control is intensified.

ClinicianClinicianAdvanced25 minClinical (pro)

Educational only

Educational only — follow local pathways and specialist recommendations for intervention thresholds and surveillance.

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For new focal neurologic deficits suggestive of TIA/stroke, activate emergency evaluation.

Key takeaways

  • Identify when carotid/intracranial stenosis is the likely stroke mechanism
  • Standardize outpatient documentation of imaging and stenosis severity
  • Close the loop on vascular surgery/interventional referral and follow-up imaging when indicated (concept)

Know the imaging

  • CTA/MRA/US results
  • Stenosis %
  • Laterality

Close the loop

  • Referral placed
  • Seen
  • Plan documented

Risk factor intensification

  • BP
  • LDL
  • Smoking
  • Diabetes

Documentation template

  • Mechanism
  • Severity
  • Owner
  • Next step

Practice check

What you’ll practice

These questions are untimed. After you answer all of them, you’ll see your score and a clear next lesson or reference step.

0 of 2 answered

Question 1

1. Documenting stenosis severity and the responsible specialty owner reduces downstream errors.

Question 2

2. A high-yield first step is to…

References

  1. Tier 1
    AHA/ASA 2021 Secondary Prevention Guideline (extracranial/intracranial atherosclerosis and prevention principles)
  2. Tier 1
    AHA/ASA 2026 Acute Ischemic Stroke Guideline (systems/diagnostic evaluation context)