Is it necessary to wait for platelet count and coagulation results before intravenous thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke ? / 中华神经科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To assess the incidence of thrombocytopenia and abnormal coagulation,door to needle time (DNT),and safety in patients with ischemic stroke who receive intravenous thrombolytic treatment prior to the availability of blood platelet (PLT) and coagulation results.Methods Consecutive acute ischemic stroke (AIS) or transient ischemic attack patients within 12 hours of symptom onset who were admitted from January 2009 to March 2013 were retrospectively recruited.First laboratory reports in their medical charts were collected to assess the incidence of thrombocytopenia and abnormal coagulation.In the mean time,consecutive AIS patients who received intravenous thrombolysis at Huashan Hospital during the same period were retrospectively recruited.The thrombolytic procedures were further optimized since June 10.3760/cma.j.issn.1006-7876.2014.07.00626,2012.With informed consent,intravenous thrombolysis was initiated without PLT and coagulation results after certain previous history and medications were ruled out.Thrombolytic patients were divided into two groups based on the initiation of thrombolysis before or after PLT and coagulation results.Baseline demographic data,symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage rates,mortality on the 7th day as well as functional outcome at 3 months were collected.DNT as well as efficacy and safety of thrombolysis therapy were compared between the two groups.Results Of 298 AIS patients within 12 hours of onset,8 had thrombocytopenia or abnormal coagulation.One hundred and twenty cases of intravenous thrombolysis patients were recruited.Waiting for PLT and coagulation results prolonged DNT than without waiting for them (90 min vs 59 min; U =870.000,P ＜0.01).There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH),early efficacy,7 d mortality and 3-month good outcome between two groups.Conclusions The incidence of thrombocytopenia and abnormal coagulation is low in AIS patients.Initiating intravenous thrombolysis prior to the availability of coagulation results can shorten DNT,while increased risks of sICH and 7 d mortality were not observed.