Multimodal computed tomography evaluation before thrombolysis in acute ischaemic stroke.
Currently, when stroke patients are offered thrombolytic therapy, their ischaemic stroke subtypes are usually unknown. Given the risk of haemorrhage that accompanies thrombolytic therapy, unselective (or undiscriminating) use of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator in patients without large-artery thromboemboli is potentially hazardous. Advances in computed tomography techniques have enabled the stroke pathophysiology to be quickly delineated by multimodal computed tomography without compromise in time for recombinant tissue plasminogen activator administration. Through description of the investigation of a typical stroke patient, we report how this technique is feasible in a regional hospital and may guide judicious use of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator.
Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
Thomas W
TW
Leung
Wynnie W M
WW
Lam
Simon C H
SC
Yu
Cecilia S F
CS
Leung
Yannie O Y
YO
Soo
Lawrence K S
LK
Wong
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020127:Recovery of Function; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator