Authors' objectives:

To summarise the effectiveness of thromoblytic medication for the treatment of stroke.

Authors' recommendations: This review concludes that the benefit of thrombolytic treatment in the studies assessed is uncertain and that additionally, intercranial haemorrhaging can occur as a complication to this form of treatment. An additional element of risk is that routine use of rtPA can easily lead to the administration of this medication to patients who do not meet the strict criteria for the indications. Furthermore, the treatment implies an ethical dilemma in that an expensive treatment with an associated relatively high risk for a few patients must be balanced against a possibly better end result for another group of patients. Treatment with the use of trPA will demand considerable competence and moreover considerable resources. The conclusion of this report is therefore that the thrombolytic treatment of stroke patients be carried out in the form of new randomised controlled clinical trials.

Authors' methods: Review

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: http://www.nokc.no/

Year Published: 1999

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: The Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services