Helicopter "Drip and Ship" Flights Do Not Alter the Pharmacological Integrity of rtPA.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Rural and critical access hospitals rely on the "drip and ship" practice using helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS). But those helicopter flights are an unusual environment with physical factors such as vibration and accelerations that could potentially affect the stability, and pharmacological properties of IV rtPA, an issue that has not been previously addressed.

Materials and methods

This was a prospective cohort study of consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients receiving IV rtPA through a Comprehensive Stroke Center from November 2015 to February 2017 to measure the effects of HEMS on the integrity and activity of rtPA by collecting residual medication left in the vial.

Clinical trial registration

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. NCT02752256 R

SUBMITTER: Faine BA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6139266 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature