Efficacy of telemedicine for thrombolytic therapy in acute ischemic stroke: a meta-analysis

Summary The aim of this study was to assess the benefits of telemedicine in the delivery of thrombolytic therapy for patients with acute ischemic stroke. We performed a meta-analysis using combinations of the following terms: telestroke, telemedicine, tissue plasminogen activator/t-PA, and acute isc...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of telemedicine and telecare 2015-04, Vol.21 (3), p.123-130
Main Authors: Zhai, Yun-kai, Zhu, Wei-jun, Hou, Hong-li, Sun, Dong-xu, Zhao, Jie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Brain Ischemia - drug therapy
Catheters
Fibrinolytic Agents - therapeutic use
Humans
Injections, Intravenous
Meta-analysis
Stroke
Stroke - drug therapy
Systematic review
Telemedicine
Thrombolytic Therapy - methods
Time Factors
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Summary The aim of this study was to assess the benefits of telemedicine in the delivery of thrombolytic therapy for patients with acute ischemic stroke. We performed a meta-analysis using combinations of the following terms: telestroke, telemedicine, tissue plasminogen activator/t-PA, and acute ischemic stroke. The primary outcome was favorable outcome based on the modified Rankin score. Secondary outcomes were incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and overall mortality. We found no significant difference in favorable outcome between the telemedicine and control groups, and no significant difference was found between these groups in the rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage or overall mortality. Patients with acute ischemic stroke who were treated with intravenous thrombolysis had similar outcomes regardless of whether telemedicine was used or they were treated in-person at a medical facility. Telemedicine can be used to support hospitals with limited experience in administering thrombolytic therapy for stroke.
ISSN:1357-633X
1758-1109
DOI:10.1177/1357633X15571357