FOAMcastini – ACEP tPA Clinical Policy

(iTunes or Listen Here)

In a prior FOAMcastini, we covered a draft of an ACEP clinical policy on tPA for acute ischemic stroke.  This came in the wake of years of controversy over the aggressive position taken in the 2012 clinical policy.  In June ACEP released the final version of this policy.

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Per the policy within 3 hours:

  • NNT of 8 for excellent functional outcomes; 95% [CI] 4-31
    • Paucity of patients presenting with mild stroke (NIHSS score 0 to 4)
  • NNH of 17 for symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage; 95% CI 12-34

While FOAMcast is not an interview style podcast, we felt compelled to get some perspective on Emergency Physicians a little more experienced than ourselves.  Here we interview:

Dr. Ryan Radecki (@emlitofnote), Assistant Professor, University of Texas – Houston

  • See his response to the policy on his blog here

Dr. David Newman (#draftnewman), Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital

Dr. Anand Swaminathan (@EMSwami), Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, NYU

Dr. Ken Milne (@thesgem), Chief of Staff at South Huron Hospital