What is the purpose of the ABCD2 score?

The ABCD2 score is specifically designed to predict the short-term risk of stroke in patients who have experienced a transient ischemic attack (TIA). This scoring system takes into consideration various factors, including the patient's Age, Blood pressure, Clinical features (like weakness or speech disturbance), Duration of symptoms, and the presence of Diabetes. By calculating the ABCD2 score, healthcare professionals can categorize patients based on their risk levels for having a stroke within the following couple of days after a TIA. This information is crucial for determining the urgency of treatment and intervention strategies to mitigate stroke risk.

The other options focus on different aspects of stroke management that do not align with the intended use of the ABCD2 score. For instance, long-term survival assessment and eligibility for surgery relate to different clinical evaluations, while neurological deficits are evaluated through clinical neurological examinations rather than a scoring system. Therefore, the ABCD2 score's primary purpose directly correlates with predicting immediate stroke risk after a TIA.