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Peter is now more confident in his reading abilities having incorporated several strategies to help him to do so.
He is able to read short stories with Sean and now encourages him to do some of the reading. Peter will have his vision reassessed in 6 months time.
‘Thrombolysis’ means the breaking up of blood clots. Thrombolysis or ‘clot-busting’ medicine called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) can dissolve the blood clot causing acute ischaemic stroke, which is the commonest type of stroke (85% of strokes). The two common thrombolysis drugs are alteplase (an intravenous bolus followed by an infusion over one hour) and Tenecteplase (just a bolus). Thrombolysis is not appropriate if the stroke has been caused by a haemorrhage (15% of strokes). Thrombolysis treatment increases the chances of a fuller recovery; however it is not effective in every case. Treatment can potentially cause bleeding, which may be serious but frequently this is minor and is often not significant.
Thrombolysis treatment can dissolve the blood clot and open the artery.
There are other agencies that can offer support after the patient is discharged from hospital. These include:
Local societies for the blind in Scotland who work specifically with people affected by sight loss after stroke:
The ophthalmologist or the orthoptist will discuss a patient’s eye condition and any treatment that is relevant, and may ask the patient to return for further treatment or examination. If they consider the eye condition to be causing a significant visual impairment that is not likely to be helped by treatment or by a new spectacle prescription they may suggest registration as blind or partially sighted. This option should be agreed between the patient and ophthalmologist.
Facts about becoming registered as blind or partially sighted [PDF]
On completion of the module the learner will have a critical understanding of:
This module aims to provide an overview of hyperacute treatments including thrombolysis and thrombectomy following ischaemic stroke; and to ‘demystify’ these treatments to improve understanding.
The content comprises five patient scenarios; within the scenarios the patient may or may not turn out to be suitable for thrombolysis and/or thrombectomy treatment. Only 15-20% of patients following stroke are suitable for thrombolysis and/or thrombectomy.
The orthoptist initiates treatment for Peter’s visual problems and discusses the findings of the visual assessment with the occupational therapist who then continues his rehabilitation.
There are two categories of interventions which might be used to manage saccadic eye movement problems:
Prof Martin Dennis, Professor of Stroke Medicine, The University of Edinburgh
Jacqueline Aim, e-learning Content Developer, Interactive Content, The University of Edinburgh
Mark Garside – Northumbria Healthcare
Chris Price – Newcastle University
Prof Andrew Farrall, Edinburgh Imaging Academy, University of Edinburgh
Dr Grant Mair, University of Edinburgh
Amanda Johnson, Stroke trainer, CHSS
Amy Matheson, Scottish Ambulance Service
Dr Matthew Lambert, NHS Tayside
Dr Richard O’Brien, NHS Lothian
Dr Mark Garside, Northumbria Healthcare
Dr Vera Cvoro, NHS Fife
Dr Christine McAlpine, Glasgow Royal Infirmary
This module aims to provide an overview of hyperacute treatments including thrombolysis and/or thrombectomy after acute stroke. It is relevant to any healthcare professional involved in any part of the patient’s pathway.
The introduction of thrombolysis and thrombectomy has greatly increased the importance of teamwork. Whilst only part of the content may be directly relevant to your role, for example as a paramedic, nurse or doctor working in the emergency medicine dept, stroke nurse, radiologist or radiographer, the module will ensure you understand the roles of other members of the team, and you can see how your role plays a crucial part in the patient’s pathway.
You will not be able to answer all of the test questions without completing the module. To gain a certificate of completion you will need to answer at least 18 of the 20 questions (90%) correctly.
Throughout the module there are links to additional information and resources. A few of the most relevant are below:
The orthoptist tells Peter he has difficulty making fast, saccadic eye movements due to his stroke
