Stroke; a journal of cerebral circulation
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke in patients aged 80 years and older : the tPA stroke survey experience.
Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) administered within 3 hours of symptom onset is the first available effective therapy for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Few data exist, however, on its use in very elderly patients. We examined the characteristics, complications, and short-term outcome of AIS patients aged >/=80 years treated with tPA. ⋯ Among AIS patients treated with intravenous tPA, age-related differences in characteristics and disposition were identified. No evidence for withholding tPA treatment for AIS in appropriately selected patients aged >/=80 years was identified.