tPA is considered a gold standard for treatment of patients with ischemic strokes.
Mechanism: Works by dissolving clots and restoring/improving blood perfusion to part of the brain that was previously impeded.
Important: Differentiate ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke by administering CT scan. tPA will not be useful in hemorrhagic strokes as decreased perfusion to brain is result of intracranial bleeding as opposed to a vascular obstruction.
When to give: Must be given within 3-4.5 hours from onset of stroke symptoms. *NOTE: it is from the time the patient was last asymptomatic, hence if a patient awakes with stroke symptoms, they were last asymptomatic whatever time they fell asleep.
How is it administered: IV
REFERENCES
1. Davis SM, Donnan GA (June 2009). “4.5 hours: the new time window for tissue plasminogen activator in stroke”. Stroke 40 (6): 2266–7.
2. Fonarow GC, Zhao X, Smith EE, et al. Door-to-Needle Times for Tissue Plasminogen Activator Administration and Clinical Outcomes in Acute Ischemic Stroke Before and After a Quality Improvement Initiative. JAMA. 2014;311(16):1632-1640. doi:10.1001/jama.2014.3203.
Tongue scalloping refers to the series of indentations along the sides of the tongue that…
Older age is recognized as a risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea.[1] But why? Suspected…
Being overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2)/Obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) is one of the most…
Nocturia is a common symptom associated with obstructive sleep apnea. [1] Img Cred: Am J…
ASD (Atrial Septal Defect) Wide, Fixed split S2 (in contrast to the normal variation in…
Mixed apneas are characterized by absent respiratory effort and airflow in the first section of…
This website uses cookies.
