Clot-Busting Drug May Prevent Disability From Mild Stroke
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Rating
Clot-Busting Drug May Prevent Disability From Mild Stroke
Our Review Summary
The story never explains its headline that tPA “may prevent disability from mild stroke.” How often was this seen? How can you draw that conclusion from the records of 4 people?
This story may have received a generous score of 3 stars but its shortcomings are very difficult to overlook.
Why This Matters
Mild stroke is an important health issue. It deserves more explanation than what was given in this story.
Criteria
Satisfactory
The story states that the drug costs about $2,000.
Not Satisfactory
No, as in “evidence” above, the benefits in the 4 patients are really never explained.
Not Satisfactory
Not good enough. The story only says the drug isn’t without risks, chiefly brain bleeding. How often does this occur? This is a big issue. If even one of the 4 people whose records show they got tPA in this analysis had problems after hospital discharge, that could throw any potential benefit out the window.
Not Satisfactory
This is a weakness in the story.
If only 1% of patients (4 in all) in the analysis were given tPA, how can such sweeping recommendations be made? The story never addressed this.
We do, however, always appreciate the boilerplate language about the limitations of talks given at scientific meetings.
Satisfactory
There is no disease-mongering of mild stroke.
Satisfactory
One independent source was quoted. But it would have been better if he’d been quoted on the quality of the evidence.
Not Satisfactory
There is no discussion about alternative approaches for people with mild strokes. At best, the story compared the new treatment (in a sample of 4 patients!) with routine standard of care (unexplained). The problem is that the story never told us how the 4 patients treated with tPA fared.
Satisfactory
The story isn’t crystal clear on the widespread availability of the drug tPA but it can be inferred from the story.
Satisfactory
It’s clear from the story that it would be a relatively novel approach to give tPA to mild stroke patients, since it appears it is hardly ever done now.
Satisfactory
It does not appear that the story relied solely on a news release.
Total Score: 6 of 10 Satisfactory
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