Acute stroke thrombolysis with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator in an Australian tertiary hospital

Abstract

Objective: To report initial experience with the use of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) to treat acute ischaemic stroke at an Australian tertiary-care hospital. Design: Retrospective audit of computerised hospital stroke database. Participants and setting: All patients with acute ischaemic stroke treated with intravenous tPA between April 1999 and July 2002 at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, VIC. Main outcome measures: Times from stroke onset to arrival at the emergency department (ED) and treatment; rates of symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH); clinical outcome at three months; and violations of treatment protocol. Results: Of 932 patients admitted with ischaemic stroke..