Third international stroke trial (IST-3) of thrombolysis for acute ischaemic stroke.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) is approved for use in selected patients with ischaemic stroke within 3 hours of symptom onset. IST-3 seeks to determine whether a wider range of patients may benefit.

Design

International, multi-centre, prospective, randomized, open, blinded endpoint (PROBE) trial of intravenous rt-PA in acute ischaemic stroke. Suitable patients must be assessed and able to start treatment within 6 hours of developing symptoms, and brain imaging must have excluded intracerebral haemorrhage. With 1000 patients, the trial can detect a 7% absolute difference in the primary outcome. With 3500 patients, it can detect a 4.0% absolute benefit & with 6000, (mostly treated between 3 & 6 hours), it can detect a 3% benefit. TRIAL

SUBMITTER: Sandercock P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2442584 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature