Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan
Lesson Learned the hard way last year; not all hospitals carry the time-sensitive stroke medication. If you have someone that is a stroke candidate and you have more than one local hospital, find out which hospital stocks the medication.
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Are you referring to this drug ?
Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA)
If your doctors determine that you have had an ischemic stroke (non-hemorrhagic), you may be a good candidate to receive a clot-busting medication known as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). This drug must be given within 3 hours of the onset of your symptoms. People who receive tPA are 50% more likely to recover from their stroke than people who do not receive tPA. The drug is given as an intravenous (IV) infusion over 1 hour and if you receive the drug, you will need to be watched closely in an intensive care unit setting for at least 24 hours.
Important facts about tPA:
tPA must be given within 3 hours of symptom onset; you may not receive tPA if you awaken with your symptoms since it is impossible to tell when your symptoms started.
You must have a CT scan before you receive tPA; it must be clear that you have not had bleeding in or around your brain before receiving tPA.
You may not receive tPA if you have bleeding problems or are on blood thinners such as warfarin (Coumadin®).
The sooner you receive tPA, the better your chance of recovery.