Stroke thrombolysis has definitely put the spotlight back on to the topic of stroke over the last few years. Stroke thrombolysis has led to restructuring of stroke care in the UK and has helped drive investment in stroke care.

The evidence base that underpins thrombolysis has been controversial to say the least and can be difficult to comprehend.

Review article: Why is there still a debate regarding the safety and efficacy of intravenous thrombolysis in the management of presumed acute ischaemic stroke? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Donaldson L. Emerg Med Australas. 2016 Aug 25

The article, published in the the Emergency Medicine Australasia Journal is a great place to start to get to grips with the topic.

In the podcast we run through the paper and hopefully this will shed act as a good recap on the topic and lead you to delve into the primary literature and form your own opinion.

Enjoy!

References

Review article: Why is there still a debate regarding the safety and efficacy of intravenous thrombolysis in the management of presumed acute ischaemic stroke? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Donaldson L. Emerg Med Australas. 2016 Aug 25

Royal College of Physicians; National clinical guideline for stroke, Prepared by the Intercollegiate Stroke Working Party, Fifth Edition 2016 (accredited by NICE)