Rate of Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator (rtPA) Administration for Acute Ischemic Stroke Treatment during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Thailand
Piyada Phantukhan1, Somsak Tiamkao2,3
Affiliation : 1 Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand, 2 Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand, 3Integrated Epilepsy Research Group, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic. Preventive policy during this outbreak possibly leads to a negative influence on the highly time-sensitive diseases such as acute ischemic stroke (AIS).
Objective: The present study was to determine the impact of the pandemic on rate of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) administration for AIS in Thailand.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study. The magnitude of COVID-19 pandemic in each province of Thailand was reviewed from the website of the Ministry of Public Health. The number of patients with AIS who received rtPA was taken from the National Health Security Office, from 1st October 2019 to 21st August 2021. The authors demonstrate the correlation between the pandemic severity and the rate of rtPA administration for patients with AIS.
Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 37 provinces (48%) in year 2020 and 50 provinces (64.9%) in year 2021 had a reduction in rate of rtPA administration, 40 provinces (51.9%) in year 2020 and 27 provinces (35%) in year 2021 had increase in rate of rtPA administration. Over a period of two years, 25 provinces (32.5%) had only decreased rate (mean=1.12% and 1.63% in year 2020 and 2021 respectively), 15 provinces (19.5%) had only increased rate (mean=1.71% and 1.17% in year 2020 and 2021 respectively), and 37 provinces (48%) had diverse in rate of rtPA administration among both years.
Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic does not cause a significant impact on the rate of rtPA administration for AIS in Thailand.
DOI:10.35755/jmedassocthai.2023.S01.13755
Keywords : COVID-19 pandemic; rtPA administration; Acute ischemic stroke
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