Hemopericardium and cardiac tamponade after thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke.

Kasner, S E; Villar-Cordova, C E; Tong, D; Grotta, J C · Neurology · 1998

case_series · Level IV

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Abstract

Hemorrhage is the major complication of IV recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) treatment for stroke. We report three patients with mild or indistinct cardiac symptoms prior to thrombolysis in whom hemodynamically significant cardiac tamponade occurred after treatment with rt-PA. Acute ischemic stroke patients may have undetected myocardial or pericardial disease that may pose a risk for hemopericardium and life-threatening tamponade after treatment with rt-PA.

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