Benefits of tPA Treatment After Stroke Vary with Time

Intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) within 4.5 hours of the onset of acute ischemic stroke increases the early risk for death but gives better odds of surviving without significant disability and possibly yields later mortality benefits, a recent meta-analysis shows.

“Earlier treatment results in bigger proportional benefits, and tPA, although it does increase the early risk of death from intracerebral hemorrhage, has no significant effect on other causes of early death,” Peter Sandercock, MD, professor of medical neurology at the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, reported.

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