Intraarterial Thrombolytic Therapy within 3 Hours of the Onset of Stroke

Neurosurgery ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric C. Bourekas ◽  
Andrew P. Slivka ◽  
Rajul Shah ◽  
Robert W. Tarr ◽  
Jeffrey Sunshine ◽  
...  

Abstract OBJECTIVE The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator Stroke Study Group showed that recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) administered intravenously within 3 hours of the onset of ischemic stroke can improve clinical outcome. Intraarterial (IA) thrombolysis has been shown to offer advantages over intravenous (IV) thrombolysis, but experience with this type of therapy within 3 hours of the onset of symptoms has not been reported previously. This study is the first retrospective analysis of a two-institution experience with IA thrombolysis within 3 hours of stroke onset. METHODS A total of 36 patients with angiographically demonstrated occlusions were treated with urokinase or rt-PA within 3 hours of stroke onset. Outcome measures included the percentage of patients with no or minimal neurological disability at 30 to 90 days as measured by the modified Rankin Scale, percentage recanalization, incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and mortality rate. The results were compared with those of the NINDS rt-PA study. RESULTS The median admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 14. Fifty percent of treated patients had a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 or 1 indicating no or little disability at 1 to 3 months compared with 39% of treated patients in the NINDS trial. Recanalization was 75%, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was 11% (versus 6.4% with IV rt-PA in the NINDS trial), and the mortality rate was 22% (versus 17% with IV rt-PA in the NINDS trial). CONCLUSION The results suggest that IA thrombolysis administered within 3 hours of stroke onset is a feasible and viable alternative to IV rt-PA on the basis of improved clinical outcomes, high recanalization percentage, and comparable mortality rate and despite increased symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. Whether IA thrombolysis is superior to IV therapy awaits further study.

2011 ◽  
Vol 114 (4) ◽  
pp. 1008-1013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Zeeshan Memon ◽  
Sabareesh K. Natarajan ◽  
Jitendra Sharma ◽  
Marlon S. Mathews ◽  
Kenneth V. Snyder ◽  
...  

Object Experience with the use of platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb–IIIa inhibitor eptifibatide in patients with ischemic stroke is limited. The authors report the off-label use of intraarterial eptifibatide during endovascular ischemic stroke revascularization procedures for reocclusion after documented recanalization or formed fresh thrombi in distal vessels that were inaccessible to endovascular devices. Methods Patients who received intraarterial eptifibatide were identified from a prospectively collected database of patients in whom endovascular revascularization for acute ischemic stroke was attempted between 2005 and 2008. Data were analyzed retrospectively. The intraarterial eptifibatide dose was a single-bolus dose of 180 μg/kg body weight. Primary outcome measures were angiographic recanalization (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction Grade 2 or 3), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage rate, overall mortality rate, and favorable 3-month modified Rankin Scale score (≤ 2). Results The study included 35 patients (mean age 62 years, range 18–85 years). The median presenting National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 13. Two patients received intravenous tissue plasminogen activator before endovascular therapy. The median time from symptom onset to therapy initiation was 230 minutes (range 90–1370 minutes). Twelve patients (34%) received intraarterial tissue plasminogen activator without mechanical measures. Mechanical revascularization measures used were Merci retriever in 19 (54%), Penumbra device in 1 (3%), balloon angioplasty in 15 (43%), and stent placement in 22 (63%) patients. The mean dose of intraarterial eptifibatide was 11.6 mg (range 5–16.6 mg). Partial-to-complete recanalization (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction Grade 2 or 3) was achieved in 27 patients (77%). Postprocedure intracranial hemorrhage occurred in 13 patients (37%), causing symptoms in 5 (14%). In the 5 symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage cases, all patients but one presented more than 8 hours after symptom onset and all received intraarterial recombinant tissue plasminogen activator. The median discharge National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 7 (range 0–17). At 3 months postprocedure, 21 patients (60%) had a modified Rankin Scale score ≤ 2, and 8 patients (23%) had died. Conclusions Adjunctive intraarterial eptifibatide is a feasible option for salvage of reocclusion and thrombolysis of distal inaccessible thrombi during endovascular stroke revascularization. Its safety and efficacy need to be studied further in larger, multicenter, controlled studies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 465-469
Author(s):  
Helia Hemasian ◽  
Erfan Sheikhbahaei ◽  
Arvin Shahzamani ◽  
Faribourz Khorvash ◽  
Mohammad Saadatnia ◽  
...  

Background: Variable intravenous recombinant tissue-plasminogen activator (rt-PA) dosages are used for ischemic stroke. We aimed to report our experience from administering different rt-PA doses in a tertiary referral center in Middle-East. Method: Medical documents of ischemic stroke patients who received rt-PA were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. Patients were grouped into three categories based on the received total amount of rt-PA and their body weight: 0.6 mg/kg (low-dose), 0.75 mg/kg (intermediate-dose), and 0.9 mg/kg (high-dose). During the hospitalization period, patients were under full surveillance for rt-PA complications. The validated format of the National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) and the modified Rankin scale (mRS) were used at the baseline, at the time of being discharged, and after 3 months. Chi-square, ANOVA, and ANCOVA were used for statistical analysis. Results: 602 patients were evaluated and grouped as follow: 187 (31.06%) in 0.6 mg/kg group (61% male) with mean age of 68±15 years, 217 (36.04%) in 0.75 mg/kg group (59% male) with mean age of 67±13 years, and 198 (32.89%) in 0.9 mg/kg group (50% male) with mean age of 69±17 years. There was no significant difference between the three groups regarding their demographics, comorbidities, and the distribution of stroke risk factors. No significant difference was seen between the three groups regarding in-hospital death and intracranial hemorrhage (p=0.07 and 0.09, respectively). In terms of NIHSS, no significant difference was observed between the three groups at the time of admission, discharge, and follow-up (p=0.98, 0.85, and 0.47, respectively). At the time of discharge, the mRS of 0.6 mg/kg group was significantly higher than the other two groups (p=0.04), which decreased in the 3-month follow-up and did not make significant differences (p=0.38). Conclusions: According to the in-hospital mortality, intracranial hemorrhage, mRS, and NIHSS scores, we recommend 0.75 mg/kg as our safe, beneficial, and cost-effective dosage.


Neurosurgery ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose I. Suarez ◽  
Osama O. Zaidat ◽  
Jeffrey L. Sunshine ◽  
Robert Tarr ◽  
Warren R. Selman ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To determine the feasibility of combined intravenous and intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic strokes and to evaluate its associated risks, using magnetic resonance imaging as a triage tool. Intravenous treatment followed by intra-arterial infusion may increase the rate of recanalization and lead to better clinical results, with reduced frequency of intracranial hemorrhage. METHODS Our Brain Attack Team evaluated patients who presented within 3 hours after symptom onset. Patients who did not demonstrate improvement and exhibited no evidence of intracranial hemorrhage on head computed tomographic scans were treated with intravenously administered recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (0.6 mg/kg) and underwent emergency magnetic resonance imaging of the head. T2-weighted turbo-gradient and spin echo and echo-planar diffusion- and perfusion-weighted imaging scans were obtained. Patients with evidence of imaging abnormalities indicating acute cortical infarction underwent cerebral angiography. After determination of vessel occlusion, intra-arterially administered urokinase (up to 750,000 units) or intra-arterially administered recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (maximal dose, 0.3 mg/kg) was used to achieve recanalization. RESULTS We treated 45 patients with this protocol. The mean age was 67 ± 13 years, and 58% of the patients were women. There was a significant improvement in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores after treatment. There was good correlation between abnormal perfusion-weighted imaging findings and cerebral angiographic findings (complete vessel occlusion). The incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was 4.4% in this cohort. Seven patients died in the hospital, and the majority of survivors (77%) experienced good outcomes (Barthel index of ≥95) 3 months after treatment. CONCLUSION Our data demonstrate that this protocol is feasible and that combined intravenous and intra-arterial thrombolysis to treat acute ischemic strokes is sufficiently safe to warrant further evaluation.


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