Ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke and occurs when one of the brain’s arteries is blocked by either a blood clot or a fatty deposit, preventing fresh blood from reaching the brain. When a person experiences an ischemic stroke, treatment is required within minutes to prevent serious damage to brain cells. Doctors most often treat stroke patients with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), which dissolves clots and restores blood flow if used soon enough after the occurrence. However, although this drug is the only one approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat acute ischemic stroke, recent results from the Transcranial Ultrasound in Clinical Sonothrombolysis (TUCSON) trial have shown that tPA in addition to a low-dose of microspheres and ultrasound may dissolve these clots more quickly, allowing better results for patients. The trial, which was presented at the American Stroke Association International Stroke Conference 2009, also found that within 36 hours of ischemic stroke, 67 percent of patients using low-dose microspheres with tPA and 46 percent of patients using high-dose microspheres with tPA had complete restoration of blood flow. Those are great improvements over the 33 percent that experienced complete restoration of blood flow within 36 hours when being treated solely with tPA. Researchers also found that by using transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) along with microspheres, stroke-causing blood clots could be broken up an average of 30 minutes sooner than when using just tPA.
The ultrasound would be used to excel recanalization, or blood flow, by forcing the microspheres to the location of the clot, where they would wear away at the clot, causing it to disintegrate completely. Dr. Andrei Alexandrov, who was involved with the studies, compared the process to sweetening a cup of tea, explaining that the sugar being added needs to be stirred in order to make the tea sweet. This process is similar in that if tPA is just added to the bloodstream, it may take longer to reach the clot, but if ultrasound waves and microspheres are added, the tPA moves to its destination more quickly, allowing for better results. The faster the treatment, the better the result for patients experiencing any type of stroke. If you or a loved one has been the victim of stroke malpractice in New York as a result of a delay in diagnosis or treatment, contact the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. Our firm serves clients with medical malpractice legal assistance in Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, New York City, Long Island, and Queens. Call today for your free consultation.
Call us toll-free 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit www.ask4sam.net
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