Limitations in thrombolytic therapy in acute ischemic stroke
Abstract
Objective: The eligibility for thrombolytic therapy for patients who present to the emergency department with Acute Ischaemic Stroke (AIS) has been researched in this study.
Methodology: Patients who had presented to the emergency department of our hospital between March 2008-2009 and diagnosed as AIS clinically and radiologically were included in the study prospectively.
Results: One hundred and twelve patients were included in the study. Forty nine (43.8 %) were female and the mean age was 68.7± 12.2 (median 71.5). The mean time from the onset of symptom to hospital admission was 12.2±12.9 hours (median 6 hours). Two (1.8%) patients did not have any contraindication for thrombolytic therapy. Arrival time at the hospital of three hours and higher was the single contraindication in 40 (35.7%) patients. The most common four contraindications were delayed admission, multilobar infarct or hypodensity of more than 1/3 of the hemisphere, hypertension and mild neurological symptoms respectively.
Conclusions: Our data suggest that the primary barrier to the delivery of thrombolytic therapy for AIS is delayed arrival of the patient to a hospital, and up to 1/3 of our patients, the percentage arriving within 4 hours of the onset of stroke symptoms, might be eligible for attempted re-perfusion.
Methodology: Patients who had presented to the emergency department of our hospital between March 2008-2009 and diagnosed as AIS clinically and radiologically were included in the study prospectively.
Results: One hundred and twelve patients were included in the study. Forty nine (43.8 %) were female and the mean age was 68.7± 12.2 (median 71.5). The mean time from the onset of symptom to hospital admission was 12.2±12.9 hours (median 6 hours). Two (1.8%) patients did not have any contraindication for thrombolytic therapy. Arrival time at the hospital of three hours and higher was the single contraindication in 40 (35.7%) patients. The most common four contraindications were delayed admission, multilobar infarct or hypodensity of more than 1/3 of the hemisphere, hypertension and mild neurological symptoms respectively.
Conclusions: Our data suggest that the primary barrier to the delivery of thrombolytic therapy for AIS is delayed arrival of the patient to a hospital, and up to 1/3 of our patients, the percentage arriving within 4 hours of the onset of stroke symptoms, might be eligible for attempted re-perfusion.
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