What happens after a diagnosis is made?
Once there is a diagnosis, some patients may be given a special drug called t-PA (tissue plasminogen activator). This drug can break up a blood clot and allow blood supply to return, thereby preventing the patient's condition from worsening and even improving it in most cases. It is critical, however, that t-PA be administered within a 3 to 4.5 hour window from when the patient was last seen to be functioning normally and the patient's onset of stroke symptoms.