First systemic evidence for safety of tPA in stroke patients with sickle cell disease

In the largest report on acute stroke in sickle cell disease to date, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina and elsewhere provide the first systemic evidence for the safe use of tPA in stroke patients with sickle cell disease. Adult patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) who experience a stroke caused by a clot (i.e., ischemic strokes or IS) can be treated safely with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) if they qualify, report investigators at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and elsewhere in the March 2017 issue of Stroke.