Date Published: 27 June 2007
NICE issues guidance on the use of *clot-busters* in the treatment of strokes
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has today issued guidance on the use of the ?clot-busting”drug alteplase for the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke. NICE has recommended alteplase within the NHS as long as it is used in accordance with the safety rules already set out in the drug's licence.
A stroke is when the normal blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. This starves the cells of oxygen in the area affected, causing them to become damaged or die. Acute ischaemic stroke happens suddenly when a clot blocks an artery that carries blood to the brain.
Each year in the UK, approximately 120,000 people have a first stroke, 30% of whom die within a month. In addition about 30,000 recurrent strokes occur. The risk of having a stroke before the age of 85 years is one in four for men, and one in five for women. Stroke is also the single most common cause of severe disability, with more than 250,000 people currently living in the UK with disabilities caused by stroke. However, by breaking down the clot quickly through the use of clot-dissolving medications like alteplase, the complications of stroke can be reduced.
Andrea Sutcliffe, Deputy Chief Executive, said:
" We know that strokes are one of the biggest killers and causes of disability. It is important that patients receive treatments that can help to reduce the effects of a stroke as quickly as possible. Today's guidance recommending the use of alteplase where clinically appropriate has the potential to have a significant impact on the treatment of hundreds of thousands of patients.?
