The current European licence for the thrombolytic agent alteplase prohibits the use of intravenous thrombolysis within 3 months of a previous stroke event, but this guidance has been challenged by new data from the SITS-EAST registry. In a retrospective study with 13,007 participants, intravenous thrombolysis produced similar outcomes in patients with first-ever stroke and individuals who had experienced a stroke ≤3 months earlier, suggesting that a recent history of stroke should not be a contraindication to use of this intervention.
References
Karlinski, M. et al. Intravenous thrombolysis for stroke recurring within 3 months from the previous event. Stroke 10.1161/STROKEAHA.115.010420
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Intravenous thrombolysis should not be ruled out for stroke recurring within 3 months. Nat Rev Neurol 11, 612 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2015.187
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2015.187