Dr. Dar Dowlatshahi co-authored an international study that could help predict which ischemic stroke patients would benefit the most from a clot-busting drug. This kind of stroke can be treated with the drug alteplase or by running a long thin tube through the blood vessels to break up the clot. The second treatment is only available at specialized stroke centers that may be hours away from where a patient lives. The researchers found that patients who had “leaky” clots that let some blood through and were further away from the center of the brain were the most likely to benefit from the drug. This suggests that patients with these characteristics may have their clots cleared just as quickly with alteplase, and do not need to be transported to a specialized center. The Ottawa Hospital enrolled 54 patients, the second-highest number of all the study sites.

Quote: “These findings will help stroke doctors around the world make personalized decisions about what treatment would be best for a patient with ischemic stroke.”-Dr. Dar Dowlatshahi, stroke neurologist and scientist at The Ottawa Hospital, associate professor at the University of Ottawa.

Reference: This study was published in JAMA. See news release from the Hotchkiss Brain Institute for details.

Funders: This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Research at The Ottawa Hospital is possible because of generous donations to the hospital.

Authors: Bijoy K. Menon, MD, MSc; Fahad S. Al-Ajlan, MD; Mohamed Najm, BSc; Josep Puig, MD; Mar Castellanos, MD; Dar Dowlatshahi, MD, PhD; Ana Calleja, MD; Sung-Il Sohn, MD; Seong H. Ahn, MD; Alex Poppe, MD; Robert Mikulik, MD, PhD; Negar Asdaghi, MD; Thalia S. Field, MD; Albert Jin, MD; Talip Asil, MD; Jean-Martin Boulanger, MD; Eric E. Smith, MD, MPH; Shelagh B. Coutts, MD, MSc; Phil A. Barber, MD; Simerpreet Bal, MD; Suresh Subramanian, MD; Sachin Mishra, MD; Anurag Trivedi, MD; Sadanand Dey, MD; Muneer Eesa, MD; Tolulope Sajobi, PhD; Mayank Goyal, MD; Michael D. Hill, MD, MSc; Andrew M. Demchuk, MD; for the INTERRSeCT Study Investigators

The Ottawa Hospital: Inspired by research. Driven by compassion 

The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada’s largest learning and research hospitals with over 1,100 beds, approximately 12,000 staff and an annual budget of over $1.2 billion. Our focus on research and learning helps us develop new and innovative ways to treat patients and improve care. As a multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, we deliver specialized care to the Eastern Ontario region, but our techniques and research discoveries are adopted around the world. We engage the community at all levels to support our vision for better patient care. See www.ohri.ca for more information about research at The Ottawa Hospital.

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Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
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