Question

The squad just delivered to your ED a 73-year-old man with crushing chest pain. He has a history of cardiovascular disease. Onset of symptoms is within the last 60 minutes. What medication would you expect the physician to order for his thromboembolic disorder?

Answer 1

Administering a thrombolytic agent, such as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), is a first intervention for a thrombotic stroke because it helps to dissolve the clot and restore blood flow to the brain.

Step-by-step explanation:

A thrombotic stroke occurs when a blood clot forms and blocks a blood vessel in the brain. Administering a thrombolytic agent, such as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), is a first intervention because it helps to dissolve the clot and restore blood flow to the brain.

tPA is an enzyme that converts plasminogen to plasmin, which breaks down the clot. When administered within 3 hours of the stroke onset, tPA can significantly improve the patient's prognosis. However, it's important to determine the cause of the stroke before starting treatment, as some strokes may be caused by hemorrhage instead of a clot.