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Article: Overview: hyperacute rt-PA stroke treatment. (recombinant tissue plasminogen activator)(Special Issue on rt-PA Stroke Treatment)
- Article from:
- Journal of Neuroscience Nursing
- Article date:
- December 1, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 American Association of Neuroscience Nurses. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Introduction
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, being responsible for 150,000 mortalities annually. Approximately 550,000 new strokes occur every year, and there are an estimated 3,000,000 stroke survivors. Stroke is both the leading cause of adult disability and the leading diagnosis for long-term care. Approximately $30 billion is spent annually for stroke survivors with varying degrees of neurological and functional disabilities. Sixteen percent of stroke survivors are institutionalized, while 71% remain vocationally impaired after 7 years; 34% under age 65 years are unemployed.[11] Ischemic stroke, which is caused by ...