Does the Primary Imaging Modality —Computed Tomography or Magnetic Resonance Imaging—Influence Stroke Physicians' Certainty on Whether or Not to Give Thrombolysis to Randomized Acute Stroke Patients?

Door-to-needle time of 20 minutes to stroke patients with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (iv-tPA) is feasible when computed tomography (CT) is used as first-line of brain imaging. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based assessment is more time-consuming but superior in detecting acute ischemia. The certainty with which stroke physicians prescribe or refrain from giving iv-tPA treatment to CT- versus MRI-examined patients has not previously been studied. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of a primary imaging strategy of CT or MRI on clinicians' certainty to prescribe or refrain from giving iv-tPA to patients with suspected acute stroke.

Source: Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases - November 30, 2017 Category: Neurology Authors: Christine Krarup Hansen, Anders Christensen, Helen Rodgers, Inger Havsteen, Christina Kruuse, Hanne Christensen Source Type: research