title: Thrombolytic dosing in acute ischaemic stroke.
abstract: Thrombolysis treatment for acute ischaemic stroke is effective if it is administered within 4.5 hours of stroke onset. Alteplase is a licensed thrombolytic treatment for ischaemic stroke. The dose of alteplase is dependent on a patient's weight. The stroke team involved in the administration of the treatment usually estimates a patient's weight prior to the treatment in order to ensure the correct dosage. This paper highlights the reliability of body weight estimates in determining the accuracy of thrombolysis dosing and the implication of dosing errors to post-thrombolysed patients.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Nurse Specialist in Stroke/Transient Ischaemic Attack, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
authors.forename: Elmer J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Catangui
mesh_terms: D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D006113:United Kingdom