title: Intravenous t-PA for acute ischemic stroke: therapeutic yield of a stroke code system.
abstract: Subsequent to publication of the NINDS t-PA Stroke Study results, we sought to determine the proportion of patients eligible for and receiving intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) at an active acute stroke treatment center. Over a 12-month period there were 185 stroke code activations. Of these, 134 involved patients with ischemic stroke, and 48 of these (36%) were potentially eligible for treatment with t-PA by the time criterion (i.e., interval from stroke onset to hospital presentation < 3 hours). Nine of the 48 potentially eligible patients (19%) and 9 of 134 ischemic stroke patients (7%) overall received t-PA. In our patient population only a small proportion of all patients with acute ischemic stroke presently are eligible for treatment with t-PA.
authors.affiliation: University of South Alabama Stroke Center, Mobile 36617, USA.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Zweifler
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Brody
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Graves
authors.forename: T T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: U
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Drinkard
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Rothrock
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000407:Alabama; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006745:Hospital Bed Capacity, 300 to 499; D006760:Hospitalization; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D018579:Patient Selection; D013997:Time Factors; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator