Delayed administration of thrombolytic therapy in minor stroke
*Correspondencia: Dra. Soledad Pérez-Sánchez. Unidad de Ictus. Servicio de Neurología. Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena. Av. Doctor Fedriani, 3. E-41008 Sevilla.
E-mail: soledad.perez.sanchez@gmail.com
Introduction: Minor strokes are considered to be those that present with few symptoms, although up to 40% of them entail long-term disability. The rate of thrombolysis in these patients is also lower than in other strokes. The aim of this study is to explore whether there are any differences in intravenous thrombolysis care times in minor strokes.
Patients and methods: We conducted a retrospective review of strokes treated with intravenous thrombolysis at our centre and a comparative analysis of the care times in minor strokes and in the other types.
Results: Longer times were found in minor strokes in terms of door-to-CT scan and door-to-needle time. This was not the case, however, for the time from the onset of symptoms to arrival at the hospital.
Conclusions: The presence of few symptoms in minor strokes can make them difficult to recognise and could be a reason for delaying treatment. Training among staff caring for these patients is essential to improve this aspect.
Resultados Se encontraron tiempos más alargados en los casos de ictus minor en cuanto al tiempo puerta-tomografía computarizada y puerta-aguja. No fue así, sin embargo, para el tiempo desde el inicio de los síntomas hasta la llegada al hospital.
Conclusiones La presencia de escasos síntomas en el ictus minor puede hacer difícil su reconocimiento y podría ser un motivo de retraso en el tratamiento. La formación entre el personal que atiende a estos pacientes es fundamental para mejorar este aspecto.