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In which tPA makes strokes much less dangerous and awful: http://elisem.livejournal.com/1661214.html
As the American Heart Association would really like you to know, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) dissolves blood clots. In ischemic stroke (estimated 80% of all strokes) there's blockage of blood flow to part of the brain, and if that goes on the cells in the blocked area will die. If blood clots are broken up, the cells get oxygen back before they die. It should be pretty clear why this is a better outcome.
Doctors can only give tPA within three hours of the onset of symptoms, because if they do it later the risk of causing dangerous bleeding outweighs the possible benefits. You're a high priority in the ER if you go in with heart or brain symptoms, but diagnosis still takes time, so get down there as soon as you can. Those cells are suffocating and the treament window's closing.
The good news? Elise is, as far as scans and doctors can tell, totally fine. That's why she's asked that people spread the word. More stroke victims can be totally fine in the future.
( Molecular geekery begins here )
As the American Heart Association would really like you to know, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) dissolves blood clots. In ischemic stroke (estimated 80% of all strokes) there's blockage of blood flow to part of the brain, and if that goes on the cells in the blocked area will die. If blood clots are broken up, the cells get oxygen back before they die. It should be pretty clear why this is a better outcome.
Doctors can only give tPA within three hours of the onset of symptoms, because if they do it later the risk of causing dangerous bleeding outweighs the possible benefits. You're a high priority in the ER if you go in with heart or brain symptoms, but diagnosis still takes time, so get down there as soon as you can. Those cells are suffocating and the treament window's closing.
The good news? Elise is, as far as scans and doctors can tell, totally fine. That's why she's asked that people spread the word. More stroke victims can be totally fine in the future.
( Molecular geekery begins here )
