The future of stroke thrombolysis

Abstract

Studies with tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) published in 1995 showed significant improvement in stroke outcome if the drug was administered within 3 hours from stroke onset. Several recent reports, however, show that less than 5% of stroke patients may be receiving t-PA in many parts of North America. This paper explores how this may be improved by examining some of the steps taken in Canada, where a recent audit showed that 8.2% of ischemic stroke patients received t-PA, and in those arriving within 2.5 hours to regional stroke centers in Ontario, 42.2% received t-PA. The paper also reviews the potential for t-PA to be given by more physicians, in remote regions using Telestroke, the possibility for using imaging characteristics rather than the onset of stroke as a determinant of eligibility for t-PA, the status of contraindications for thrombolysis, and the possibility of combining t-PA with immune modulation for improved stroke outcomes. © 2012 New York Academy of Sciences.