Thrombolysis in patients with transient neurologic deficits.

Lyden, P; Lu, M; Kwiatkowski, T; Frankel, M; Levine, S; Broderick, J; Brott, T; NINDS rt-PA Stroke Study Group · Neurology · 2001

rct · Level I

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Abstract

What is the risk of thrombolysis in patients with acute stroke who might recover without treatment? In the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke rt-PA for Acute Stroke Trial, 2.6% of patients taking placebo showed spontaneous 24-hour recovery, compared to 11.5% of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA)-treated patients (p < 0.001). There were no symptomatic ICH in the patients taking placebo; one hypertensive, rt-PA-treated patient hemorrhaged. Assuming the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke protocol is followed rigorously, patients with acute stroke rarely recover spontaneously and the thrombolytic risk is low.

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