Administering clot-busting drugs within 90 minutes of mild stroke boosts odds for recovery, experts say
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Aug. 22 (HealthDay News) -- People suffering mild to moderate ischemic strokes who get immediate medical treatment can greatly reduce their odds of disability, a new study suggests.
An ischemic stroke occurs when a clot blocks blood flow to the brain. According to the American Stroke Association, nearly nine out of every 10 strokes are ischemic strokes. Current guidelines recommend giving a clot-dissolving drug within 4.5 hours of stroke onset.
However, the new study found that when these clot-busting drugs were administered even sooner -- within 90 minutes of the appearance of stroke symptoms -- patients had little or no disability after three months compared with patients who got the drugs later.
"Despite the time window of 4.5 hours to give clot-busting drugs, there are clear differences between patients treated ultra-early -- within 90 minutes -- and those treated later," said lead researcher Dr. Daniel Strbian, an associate professor of neurology at Helsinki University Central Hospital in Finland.
"This finding calls for streamlining the processes starting from symptom recognition, ambulance call, transport to hospital and in-hospital treatment," he said.
Each year in the United States, about 795,000 people suffer a stroke. Of those people, about 130,000 die, while many others suffer serious, long-term disability.
Read more from the original source:
Ultra-Early Treatment Reduces Disability After Stroke: Study