A 9‑year‑old stroke victim in Zielona Góra was given an off‑label clot‑busting drug by emergency doctors, sparing him lasting brain damage.
Rare Diagnosis and Swift Response
The child was brought to the University Hospital in Zielona Góra showing symptoms of a brain stroke—speech difficulties and marked weakness on the right side of the body. Imaging confirmed a severe ischemic stroke.
Doctors decided to use thrombolytic therapy, a clot‑busting drug normally reserved for early‑phase ischemic stroke patients. Dr. Norbert Ganczar from the emergency department reported that during the drug administration the patient’s neurological deficit lessened, and his stroke symptoms resolved.
The decision was difficult because the medication is not officially approved for children. The team relied on decades of experience treating adults, citing the alternative as potentially severe neurological damage. The outcome was positive: the boy recovered fully with no lasting deficits, according to Dr. Anita Siewko.
Intensive Care and Intracranial Monitoring
Following the intervention, the boy was transferred to the Clinical Ward for Anesthesiology and Intensive Therapy for Children. Physicians monitored him for complications, noting an arrhythmia and two brief seizure episodes after the stroke—events that were not severe.
During a two‑day stay, no major bleeding complication occurred, such as bleeding into the central nervous system, as explained by head nurse Paweł Matecki. After his recovery, he was moved to the pediatric neurology ward in Nowa Sól for rehabilitation.
Expert Insight on Pediatric Stroke Treatment
Dr. Szymon Jurga, head of the neurology department, admitted that this was the first similar case he had seen in his 30‑year career. He noted that treating acute ischemic stroke in children is more intricate than in adults, mainly because no officially registered clot‑busting drug exists for such young patients.
Jurga commended Dr. Anita Siewko for taking significant responsibility in a highly unusual situation involving the off‑label use of a medication.
Recognizing Stroke Symptoms in Children
Hospital specialists highlight that stroke, though often associated with older adults, can also affect children. Dr. Szymon Michniewicz underscored the importance of rapid symptom recognition, using the FAST acronym: Face drooping, Arms weakness, Speech problems, Time to call for help.
Other warning signs include sudden headache often accompanied by vomiting or nausea, balance trouble, vision disturbances, and changes in consciousness.
