Ischemic strokes make up an estimated 85 percent of all strokes. This type of stroke occurs when a blood clot forms in the brain or when a clot forms in the heart and travels to the brain. (Other types of strokes, known as hemorrhagic strokes, involve ruptured arteries in the brain.) Thrombolytic therapy refers to the breakdown of blood clots by delivering thrombolytic drugs, which are tissue plasminogen activator (tPa), streptokinase, alteplase or urokinase.
Arrival at the Hospital
People who exhibit signs of a stroke, such as slurred words, blurred vision, paralysis on one side of the body or an extreme headache, must be taken immediately to a hospital emergency room. Each minute that a stroke continues, the lack of oxygen to the brain destroys brain cells, and the longer a stroke victim waits, the fewer treatment options are available.
At the hospital, a stroke team will determine what type of stroke is occurring. This is typically done using a computed tomography, or CT, scan to view the brain and any blockages.
Thrombolytic Therapy
A physician will administer a thrombolytic drug, based on a few key factors. First, the stroke must be caused by a blood clot. Second, the stroke's onset must have been less than three hours prior to treatment; after that, thrombolytic drugs could cause adverse side effects, such as bleeding in the brain.
Usually, a doctor will choose tPa, a protein, to treat the clot; other clot-busters are made from bacteria, to which the body could build up a resistance.
tPa Takes Effect
Thrombolytic drugs differ from other stroke therapies in that they do not immediately break up the clot; instead such drugs reduce or shrink the clot. A thrombolytic drug is administered intravenously in an arm. Once the drug is circulated in the body, it can reduce blood clots in the heart and brain and restore blood flow.
Tags: blood clot, blood clots, clot forms, thrombolytic drug, thrombolytic drugs, type stroke