AHA Journals, Author Interviews, Stroke, UCLA / 15.02.2015
ISC 2015: Analysis of MR CLEAN Trial for Endovascular Therapy in Acute Ischemic Stroke
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. May Nour MD PhD
Neurology Fellow
UCLA
Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Dr. Nour: In October of 2014, results from the MR CLEAN trial were the first to demonstrate better functional outcomes in stroke patients as a result of endovascular therapy. Among patients whose stroke was caused by clot blocking a large vessel responsible for delivering blood to the vital tissue of the brain, the use of endovascular therapy, primarily utilizing second-generation clot retrieval devices, showed improved outcomes in most cases evaluated in combination with medical therapy, when compared to medical therapy alone. Currently, the standard of care involves delivery of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA) within a short time window (up to 3-4.5 hrs) with the intention of dissolving, rather than physically removing the clot as in the case of endovascular retrieval.
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