Golden hour for stroke treatment expanded to a maximum of 24 hours

[Anchor]

Today (10.29) is 'World Stroke Day'.

Stroke, which causes paralysis due to blocked blood vessels in the brain, can be treated within 24 hours of onset to prevent serious disabilities.

However, in medical practice, only patients who present within 3 hours of onset are prioritized for treatment.

Reporter Kim Ha-eun has the story.

[Report]

["Raise your right arm, open your mouth, and look at me."]

In July, a man in his 60s, who experienced paralysis in one arm and leg, arrived at the emergency room 12 hours after the symptoms began.

[Noh Mi-sook/Patient's Guardian: "They were asking, 'Are you okay?' but he couldn't speak. He was just staring. When we got to the hospital's emergency room, the doctor said the golden hour had passed, and the patient couldn't be saved...."]

However, thanks to recent advancements in stroke treatment's 'golden hour', the patient was able to undergo an urgent procedure to clear the blood vessels and return to daily life.

[Kim Jun-yeop/Professor of Neurology at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital: "In the past, we considered the golden hour for intra-arterial thrombectomy to be 6 hours. Recent research has shown that it can be effective up to 24 hours...."]

Reflecting these advancements in medical technology, the KTAS committee, which classifies the severity of emergency patients, expanded the golden hour for stroke treatment from 3 hours to 24 hours in 2021.

However, it appears that the old standards are still being applied in practice.

Among 9 national university hospitals, 6, including Seoul National University Hospital, are lowering the treatment priority for patients who present more than 3 hours after symptom onset.

[Lee Kyung-bok/Professor of Neurology at SoonChunHyang University Hospital Seoul: "If the KTAS (Korean Triage and Acuity Scale) level is low, it may limit the patient's subsequent emergency transport or quick access to a higher-level hospital...."]

Health authorities stated that while the KTAS classification criteria, which changed to within 24 hours of stroke onset, have not been legally revised, they will review amendments to ensure proper application in the field.

This is KBS News, Kim Ha-eun.