Faculty Advisor(s)
Jennifer Audette
Document Type
Course Paper
Publication Date
12-2019
Rights
© 2019 Lindsey Leboeuf
Abstract
Background and Purpose: An ischemic stroke occurs when blood flow to an area of the brain is restricted and can cause numbness or weakness on one side of the body, facial droop, trouble speaking, and trouble walking. Patients who seek medical attention for symptoms within three hours of their onset can be eligible to receive tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). These patients often have less resultant disability than their counterparts who did not receive the drug. The purpose of this case reports is to display the positive effects of tPA and physical rehabilitation following a stroke in the acute care setting. Case Description: The patient was an 83-year-old Caucasian female with an acute right thalamic stroke and complaints of left sided weakness with numbness and tingling. tPA was administered within one hour of symptom onset. Strength, sensation, coordination, and functional mobility were evaluated before and after the administration. Outcomes: The patient in this case report showed improvements in strength (grossly 2-/5 to 4-/5), sensation (numbness to intact), and coordination (unable to perform to slowed and decreased accuracy) as a result of tPA administration following a stroke. The patient was discharged home with minor impairments in functional mobility. Discussion: This case report demonstrates the importance of early stroke symptom recognition so that eligible patients can receive tPA to decrease impairments and to have better outcomes in the area of functional mobility.
Recommended Citation
Leboeuf, Lindsey, "Tissue Plasminogen Activator Effects On Stroke And Physical Therapy Outcomes In Acute Care: A Case Report" (2019). Case Report Papers. 105.
https://dune.une.edu/pt_studcrpaper/105
Comments
The case report poster for this paper can be found here:
http://dune.une.edu/pt_studcrposter/163/