Abstract
Thrombolysis is a promising treatment for patients with acute
ischaemic stroke. However, a major barrier to treatment is that it
needs to be administered within 4.5 hours of stroke onset. Training
and education is key to the timely delivery of thrombolytic therapy to
patients following acute stroke. This article describes the thrombolysis
care pathway in use in one hyperacute stroke unit and outlines the
core competencies required of the acute stroke nurse.
Authors
Elmer Javier Catangui
Clinical nurse specialist in stroke, Imperial Hyperacute Stroke Unit,
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London.
Julia Slark
Clinical nurse specialist in stroke, Imperial Stroke Centre,
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London.
Correspondence to: elmer.catangui@imperial.nhs.uk
Keywords
Hyperacute stroke unit, ischaemic stroke, stroke nurse, thrombolysis,
transient ischaemic attack
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