LKW
Medical abbreviation · Neurology
| Stands for | Last known well |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
LKW stands for Last known well, a neurology abbreviation.
Most recent time a patient was observed or known to be at their neurological baseline, used to define stroke onset when the exact start of symptoms is unknown. It determines eligibility for thrombolysis and thrombectomy time windows.
Example: Found aphasic at 07:00, LKW 23:00 last night when he went to bed; CT perfusion ordered.
Usage notes
For "wake-up strokes," onset is counted from when the person went to sleep, which often places them outside standard windows. The WAKE-UP trial (2018) showed that an MRI mismatch, with a lesion on diffusion imaging but not yet on FLAIR, can identify patients likely within 4.5 hours who may benefit from thrombolysis. Getting an accurate LKW from family or bystanders is a key early task in a stroke code.
Related abbreviations
More neurology abbreviations
- ICP – Intracranial pressure
- IIH – Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
- IVH – Intraventricular hemorrhage
- JME – Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy
- LBD – Lewy body dementia
- LEMS – Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome
- LMN – Lower motor neuron
- LOC – Loss of consciousness
- LP – Lumbar puncture
- LVO – Large vessel occlusion
- MCI – Mild cognitive impairment
- MG – Myasthenia gravis
See all 131 neurology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.