Neurology® 2012;79:1 IV human recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) is the best proven and most effective treatment for acute ischemic stroke. The benefits of rt-PA are highly dependent on the time elapsed since stroke symptoms.1 Accordingly, the Brain Attack Coalition recommends that the time from emergency room arrival to initiation of rt-PA (that is, the “door-toneedle” time) shou...

OBJECTIVES Delays in parenteral antibiotic treatment may contribute to the high mortality in meningococcal disease. This study aimed to record "door to needle" time in children with meningococcal disease before and after the introduction of a specific teaching programme about the disease. METHODS "Door to needle" time in 33 children with meningococcal disease, admitted June 1995-December 1996...

OBJECTIVE To quantify the change in door to needle time when delivery of thrombolytic treatment of acute myocardial infarction was changed from the coronary care unit to the emergency department. DESIGN A comparative observational study using prospectively collected data. SETTING Coronary care unit and emergency department of an Australian teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS 89 patients recei...

sepsis constitutes an important cause of hospital admission with a high mortality rate. appropriate antibiotic therapy is the cornerstone of therapy in patients with sepsis. although numerous studies have recommended early antibiotic initiation in severe sepsis or septic shock stages of sepsis syndrome, its role in treatment of patients with sepsis who have not entered these stages remains to b...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Little is known about intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) use in China. By accessing the Chinese National Stroke Registry (CNSR), the rate of intravenous rtPA use was reviewed. We specifically examined the issues of prehospital and in-emergency department delay and compared them with the published data from developed countries. METHODS Funded by ...

OBJECTIVE To assess and reduce delays in coronary thrombolysis in patients with acute myocardial infarction. DESIGN Prospective, descriptive study using statistical process control. SETTING Interdisciplinary intensive care unit of a 300-bed community hospital. SUBJECTS Thirty-seven consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction who were receiving thrombolytic therapy. INTERVENTIO...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The benefits of intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) in acute ischemic stroke are time-dependent, and guidelines recommend a door-to-needle time of ≤60 minutes. However, fewer than one third of acute ischemic stroke patients who receive tPA are treated within guideline-recommended door-to-needle times. This article describes the design and rationale of TA...

Background and Purpose—The benefits of intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) in acute ischemic stroke are time-dependent, and guidelines recommend a door-to-needle time of 60 minutes. However, fewer than one third of acute ischemic stroke patients who receive tPA are treated within guideline-recommended door-to-needle times. This article describes the design and rationale of Targe...