Authors' recommendations: Intravenous thrombolysis given within 3 hours resulted in better quality of life of the patients and lower cost (dominant strategy) compared with no thrombolytic treat-ment. Thrombolytic therapy given between 3 and 5 hours is more likely to have negative than positive total effects on health. Treatment in this time interval was less expensive than traditional therapy in a life time perspective, however the choice of such treatment should also be considered based on other criteria, such as expected benefit of treatment and an ethical perspective. Antiplatelet therapy with a combination of ASA and slow-release dipyridamole was a dominant strategy (more effective and lower cost) compared with only ASA and clopidogrel in secondary prophylaxis after stroke. Anticoagulation therapy with war-farin was a dominant strategy (more effective and lower cost) relative to ASA for stroke patients with atrial fibrillation.

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: http://www.kunnskapssenteret.no/Publikasjoner/11102.cms?language=english&threepage=1

Year Published: 2010

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Norway

Organisation Name: Norwegian Institute of Public Health

Contact Address: Universitetsgata 2, Postbox 7004 St. Olavs plass, NO-0310 Oslo NORWAY. Tel: +47 23 25 50 00; Fax: +47 23 25 50 10;

Contact Name: Berit.Morland@nokc.no, dagny.fredheim@nokc.no

Contact Email: Berit.Morland@nokc.no, dagny.fredheim@nokc.no

Copyright: Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services (NOKC)