Stroke treatment still very often delayed

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Stroke victims frequently fail to seek emergency treatment promptly enough, and even when they do get to the ER quickly, their treatment is often delayed, a new study shows. "Our study shows that most people with stroke symptoms still do not get to the hospital in a timely manner," lead researcher Dr. Kathryn R. Rose, of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, told Reuters Health. "This precludes them from being considered for time-dependent treatments that can reduce disability and death following a stroke." In most cases, strokes are caused by a blood clot hindering blood flow to the brain. A drug called tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, can be used to dissolve the clot and limit stroke damage, but it must be given within three hours of a person's first symptoms. In their study, Rose... [read full story]