title: Intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator for acute stroke in Poland: an analysis based on the Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke (SITS) Registry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Intravenous thrombolysis was conditionally approved in the European Union (EU) in 2002, under the requirement of entering all patients into Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke - Monitoring Study (SITS-MOST). Countries not belonging to the EU by 2002, i.e. Poland were invited to enter data into the SITS International Stroke Thrombolysis Registry (SITS-ISTR). The aim of this study is to compare the safety and efficacy of thrombolysis in the Polish SITS-ISTR stroke patient population with patients registered in SITS-MOST.
  
  
  METHODS
  481 patients in Poland were reported between 2003 and 2007. Baseline and outcome data of Polish patients were compared with SITS-MOST.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of the baseline characteristics did not differ between the groups. The most important was the onset-to-needle and door-to-needle times were significantly longer in Polish patients, 150 vs 136 min and 82 vs 68 min, respectively (P < 0.001). The symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage and independence rates at 3 months were similar in both populations. Polish patients had a significantly higher 3-month mortality rate, 18.6% vs 11.3% (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because of higher mortality the study implies the need to improve the organization of thrombolysis services and provides the rationale to continue the monitoring of treatment in Poland.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Neurology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Czlonkowska
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Romanowicz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Glonek
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Nyka
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Opala
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wahlgren
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland; D012042:Registries; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator