A stroke is a frightening and potentially deadly occurrence in which time is of the essence. Fifteen minutes may seem like an insignificant amount of time, but it can drastically change a stroke victim’s life. A new study reveals that following a stroke, for every 15-minute delay in the receipt of the clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), a stroke survivor is robbed of a month of healthy, disability-free life.
According to lead author of the study, Atte Meretoja, M.D., Ph.D., M.Sc., “Clot-busting treatment works equally well, irrespective of race, ethnicity or gender. Speedy restoration of blood flow to the brain is crucial for brain cell survival everywhere.” This means that administering tPA quickly is vital to the stroke survivor’s quality of life post-stroke. In fact, the study also found that every minute the treatment was delivered faster gained patients an extra 1.8 days of healthy life.
Read more about this remarkable study on the importance of efficient stroke medication application.
Take a look at our blog on reducing the risk of stroke to learn more about preventing the potentially tragic and long-term effects of stroke. If you or a loved one are adjusting to life after a stroke, Live Free Home Health Care of New Hampshire can help you get life back on track with dedicated home care services, healthy meal planning and preparation, and more. Contact us to learn how we can help.