title: Stroke thrombolysis in New Zealand: data from the first 6 months of the New Zealand Thrombolysis Register.
abstract: The New Zealand National Stroke Network introduced a National Stroke Thrombolysis Register on the first of January 2015 to assist with quality assurance and continuous service improvement. In the first 6 months, there were 179 [75 women, mean (SD) age 69.9 (14) years] treated with stroke thrombolysis out of a total of 2,796 ischaemic stroke patients, giving a national thrombolysis rate of 6.4%. The median [Inter-quartile range (IQR)] onset-to-treatment time was 154 (125-190) minutes, and the median (IQR) door-to-needle time was 74.5 (55.7-105.0) minutes. The rate of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage following thrombolysis was 4.4%. These results are similar to other international centres, and indicate an approximate doubling of the proportion of stroke patients treated with stroke thrombolysis since a 2009 national audit. However, there is need for on-going efforts to improve treatment rates and process efficiency, particularly door-toneedle times.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Capital & Coast DHB, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Purwa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Canterbury DHB, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Auckland DHB, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Peter Alan
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Barber
authors.affiliation: Physician and Geriatrician, Northland DHB, Whangarei, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Capital & Coast DHB, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lanford
authors.affiliation: Tairawhiti DHB, Gisborne, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seymour
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Waikato DHB, Hamilton, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: Acute and Rehabilitation Stroke Services, Southern DHB, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Busby
authors.affiliation: Stroke Foundation of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Ginny
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Abernethy
authors.affiliation: Medicine, Cancer and Community Directorate, Wellington Regional Hospital, Private Bag 7902, Wellington South. anna.ranta@otago.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Annemarei Anna
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ranta
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D061665:Time-to-Treatment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator