1. Eligibility for Intravenous Recombinant Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator Within a Population: The Effect of the European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study (ECASS) III Trial.
- Author
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de Los Ríos la Rosa F, Khoury J, Kissela BM, Flaherty ML, Alwell K, Moomaw CJ, Khatri P, Adeoye O, Woo D, Ferioli S, and Kleindorfer DO
- Subjects
- Acute Disease, Aged, Emergency Medical Services, Europe, Humans, Male, Practice Guidelines as Topic, Retrospective Studies, Time Factors, Brain Ischemia therapy, Fibrinolytic Agents administration & dosage, Stroke therapy, Thrombolytic Therapy methods, Tissue Plasminogen Activator administration & dosage
- Abstract
Background and Purpose: The publication of the European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study (ECASS III) expanded the treatment time to thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke from 3 to 4.5 hours from symptom onset. The impact of the expanded time window on treatment rates has not been comprehensively evaluated in a population-based study., Methods: All patients with an ischemic stroke presenting to an emergency department during calendar year 2005 in the 17 hospitals that compromise the large 1.3 million Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky population were included in the analysis. Criteria for exclusion from thrombolytic therapy are analyzed retrospectively for both the standard and expanded timeframes with varying door-to-needle times., Results: During the study period, 1838 ischemic strokes presenting to an emergency department were identified. A small proportion of them arrived in the expanded time window (3.4%) compared with the standard time window (22%). Only 0.5% of those who arrived in this timeframe met eligibility criteria for thrombolysis compared with 5.9% using standard eligibility criteria in the standard timeframe. These results did not vary significantly by repeated analysis varying the door-to-needle time or the expanded time window's exclusion criteria., Conclusions: In reality, the expanded time window for thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke benefits few patients. If we are to improve recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator administration rates, our focus should be on improving stroke awareness, transport to facilities with ability to administer thrombolysis, and familiarity of physicians with acute stroke treatment guidelines.
- Published
- 2012
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