Contents:
- Medical Video: Emergency Treatment for Ischemic Stroke - Dr. Reza Jahan | UCLA Interventional Radiology
- How to treat stroke
- What needs to be known before using tPA
Medical Video: Emergency Treatment for Ischemic Stroke - Dr. Reza Jahan | UCLA Interventional Radiology
tPA stands for tissue Plasminogen Activator, a drug that dissolves blood clots, and is included in thrombolytic treatment. This drug is an intravenous or IV drug that is usually given through a catheter inserted into a vein in the arm.
How to treat stroke
About 8 out of 10 brain attacks / strokes are ischemic. This type of stroke is most often caused by a blood clot that blocks blood flow to the brain causing tissue death. tPA is given to help dissolve clots quickly and restore blood flow to brain tissue.
Another common type of brain attack is called a bleeding stroke. This brain attack / stroke occurs because of bleeding from a blood vessel to the brain. tPA is not used to treat this type of brain attack because it can increase the amount of bleeding and cause more damage to the brain. A CT scan or MRI on the head is done to confirm there is no bleeding in the brain before the tPA is given.
What needs to be known before using tPA
In some cases, tPA can cause excessive bleeding to cause death. The more time that passes between the start of a stroke and the administration of tPA, the greater the risk.
Doctors must be careful when deciding whether patients need to take tPA. If possible, this decision is best determined by a skilled medical team led by a stroke specialist. If doctors override tPA, they may give antithrombotic, or anticoagulant drugs such as heparin, to prevent more clots from forming in the blood.
People who are not treated within three hours of the first symptoms appear, patients with certain medical conditions, and patients with certain types of stroke, are not eligible for tPA treatment.
Tell your doctor if you experience one of the following:
⇒ heart attack
⇒ serious head trauma in the last three months
⇒ gastric or urinary tract bleeding in the last 21 days
Besar large operation within the previous 14 days
⇒ bleeding disorders
⇒ consume blood thinners, such as warfarin
⇒ pregnant
⇒ Uncontrolled high blood pressure
You cannot receive tPA more than three hours after a stroke if:
⇒ 80 years old and above
⇒ taking blood thinners (anticoagulants)
⇒ has a history of stroke and diabetes.
