Tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, is an FDA-approved drug which is administered to certain stroke patients to dissolve blood clots. It is recommended that stroke patients receive tPA within 60 minutes of arriving to the hospital to increase their chances of survival and recovery. However, a new study has found that only a small amount of patients receive the drug in the recommended window.
For the study, cardiovascular medicine professor Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow analyzed more than 25,000 ischemic stroke patients treated with tPA within three hours at 1,083 hospitals. All of these hospitals were participating in the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get with the Guidelines-Stroke program, which urges timely tPA treatment.
Dr. Fonarow found in his study that only about 26.6 percent of eligible stroke patients (6,790 patients) received tPA within the 60-minute window. Of the patients who did receive the drug within the recommended period, only about 8.5 percent died as a result of their stroke, while 10.4 percent of patients who experienced a delay in receiving tPA died.
In an effort to save more lives, Dr. Fonarow also warned family members against driving someone with stroke symptoms to the hospital themselves. Calling 911 for an ambulance allows for more immediate treatment and a better chance of recovery.
The failure to properly diagnose a stroke and treat it in time is a leading medical malpractice mistake in the country. If you or a loved one has been the victim of stroke malpractice, call the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today for your free consultation. We have helped clients with Brooklyn stroke malpractice, Queens stroke malpractice, Bronx stroke malpractice, Manhattan stroke malpractice and Long Island stroke malpractice matters.
Call toll-free 1-877-ASK4SAM
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