Individualized stroke treatment available for patients, though underutilized
Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 13:24
in Health & Medicine
Nearly 90 percent of the 700,000 strokes that affect U.S. patients each year are caused by a blockage of blood vessels supplying the brain, known as ischemic stroke. A new study published in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, the official journal of The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), provides solid evidence of the effectiveness of catheter-based therapy (CBT) to remove blood clots in stroke patients. CBTs, which include stents and thrombectomy, may be used for ischemic stroke patients who arrive too late or have contraindications for intravenous thrombolysis, a drug treatment frequently used to break down blood clots.