Dados do Trabalho

Título

THROMBOLYTIC THERAPY IN THE STROKE UNIT OF A HOSPITAL IN NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL - EXPERIENCE IN THE LAST 5 YEARS

Resumo

Introduction: In Brazil, the incidence of ischemic stroke ranges from 105 to 137 per 100,000 inhabitants (1). It is the second cause of death and the leading cause of permanent disability in the adult population. Thus, reperfusion treatment is a goal to be achieved in patients with acute ischemic stroke (2) and, stroke units have a fundamental role related to the organized and fast care of such individuals (3). However, the pandemic of the disease by coronavirus brought with it barriers for reperfusion therapies in acute stroke, such as the closing of several stroke units around the country (4). In this study we will present the profile of cerebral ischemic patients undergoing thrombolysis in the stroke unit of a large hospital in the Northeast of Brazil in the last 5 years. Objective: To describe the evolution of thrombolytic therapy in the stroke unit of the Hospital da Restauração over the past 5 years. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, observational, retrospective study that included patients with ischemic stroke undergoing chemical thrombolysis in the period from June 2018 to May 2022 admitted to the neurological emergency of Hospital da Restauração, Recife, Pernambuco. Results: 269 patients underwent chemical thrombolysis in the period studied. There was a predominance of males (51.7%) and a mean age of 65 years. Our study, therefore, reaffirms the profile found in the literature (5). Despite the male predominance, in 2021 and in the first five months of 2022 there was a female predominance of 57.1% and 56.8%, respectively. Prior to the closure of the stroke unit due to the COVID-19 pandemic, from June/2018 to April/2020, 174 patients were thrombolyzed. In contrast, we noticed a sharp drop in the number of patients undergoing reperfusion therapy in the period when the unit was deactivated in May 2020 to the end of November 2021, totaling 30 patients. After reopening, we had a significant increase and by May 2022, 65 patients were thrombolyzed. Conclusion: Our study showed a significant increase in the number of patients undergoing thrombolysis over the years. The closure of the stroke unit resulted in a decline in the number of patients treated in the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. With this, it is shown the importance of the units for a better assistance to patients who need care in the acute phase of stroke.

Palavras Chave

Stroke; Thrombolytic Therapy; Ischemic Stroke