NEUROCLINIC MYLAPORE AND MANDAVELI during an ongoing attack of untreated ischemia approx 32000 cells die every second.to minimise the damage to these nerve cells , an affected patient must be taken to the hospital and treatment should be started with in first 3 hours of stroke.the earlier , the betterit is A drug called recombinant tissue plasminogen activator[rTPA] administered with in 3 hours of stroke can halt brain injury.it may be extended to 4.5 hrs.but treated earlier has been shown to give good results.