A study has found stroke victims should be treated with the clot busting drug alteplase within four and half hours of symptom onset. After 4.5 hours the likelihood of good clinical recovery reduces significantly according to the study published in the Lancet. A study has found, stroke victim should be treated with the clot busting drug Alteplace within four and half hours of symptom onset. The chance of dying increased with the length of time it took for treatment to start.

Lead author Prof Kennedy Lees, from the University of Glasgow said “Our analysis showed that the greatest benefit comes from earlier treatment, since net benefit is diminishing and is undetectable in our sample beyond 4.5 hours. However, alteplase does not result in excellent benefit in most patients, even those treated early, so questions remain. We need to understand better the factors that prevent alteplase from being effective in individual patients. Patients with ischemic stroke selected by clinical symptoms and CT benefit from intravenous alteplase when treated up to 4·5 hours. To increase benefit to a maximum, every effort should be taken to shorten delay in initiation of treatment. Beyond 4·5 hours, risk might outweigh benefit.”

The analysis , was published in the Lancet , after 4.5 hours the likelihood of good clinical recovery reduces significantly , analysis of pooled data from 3,670 patients involved in 8 trials found that there is a window of opportunity that closes 4.5 after symptoms present themselves in which to reap the benefits of the commonly used thrombolytic. The researchers had found that treatment with the drug within three hours improved the chances of survival and recovery significantly; prompting recommendations that alteplase should be given to a patient as quickly as possible following the onset of symptoms, as the team focused on patients that had suffered an ischaemic stroke where the nirvanas starved of blood.