Stroke patients rarely receive drug
Patient Safety Monitor Alert
December 12, 2007
A recent University of Michigan study found that many stroke patients do not receive tPA, the first drug approved for strokes. The report discovered that seven of 10 patients didn't make it to the hospital in time to receive the drug, which can only be used within three hours after symptoms begin.Research found that 40% of emergency doctors were unlikely to give the drug because of the increased risk for brain hemorrhages, and that patients arriving at a hospital by ambulance were seven times more likely to receive tPA than those who arrived on their own.
The study involved 2,097 stroke patients who were admitted to 15 Michigan hospitals over a six-month period.
To read the press release, click here.
