Roper St. Francis Healthcare now offering fast-acting, clot-busting drug to improve outcomes for stroke patients

Stroke patients who come to Roper St. Francis Healthcare will have a lower risk of brain damage in part because of a clot-busting drug, Tenecteplase (TNK).  

TNK will replace another clot-busting drug that takes up to an hour to fully administer, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Now, stroke patients will receive the medication, TNK, administered through an IV push in just five seconds.  

“It’s imperative that we treat our stroke patients as quickly as possible,” said Stroke Program Coordinator Lori Schrecker. “It can be the difference between life and death. It can also be the difference between whether the patient will be able to walk, talk and see again.”  

TNK is a thrombolytic, meaning it dissolves the clots that deplete the brain of blood and oxygen, causing a stroke. It has been implemented across all four of the healthcare system’s hospitals and two 24-hour ERs as the system’s new standard treatment for stroke patients. 

Every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke, and it is a leading cause of serious long-term disability, reducing mobility in more than half of stroke survivors aged 65 and older, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  

Evidence based on clinical trials has demonstrated that TNK administered for stroke improves the rate at which blood flow is restored to the brain and decreases the chance for intracranial hemorrhage. The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association guidelines now advise that TNK should be considered best practice, as clinical trials have demonstrated better patient outcomes, Schrecker said. 

For RSFH to make the transition, clinical teammates across the system underwent extensive training to learn how to administer TNK, what side effects to look out for and how to teach patients. For successful stroke treatment, it’s not only important to offer the right drug, but it’s also imperative to have a whole team and procedure that can act fast and is dedicated to caring for patients, Schrecker said. 

“This is a monumental milestone for the system and for our patients,” Schrecker said. “It has been a huge undertaking and I’m incredibly proud of our stroke team – Dr. Alison Smock, Carla Kessinger and Cynthia Reck – for pushing this transition.”  

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