ALTEPLASE THERAPY IN ACUTE ISCHEMIC STROKE - A DANISH PILOT-STUDY

In the period from October 1990 to December 1991, 23 patients with acu te ischemic stroke were treated with recombinant tissue plasminogen ac tivator (rt-PA) at a median of 205 min (range 78 - 355 min) after symp tom onset. In this open pilot study rt-PA was given intravenously afte r an acute CT scan had not shown acute changes. In 12 patients regiona l cerebral blood flow was measured intravenously using Tc-99m-HMPAO be fore and within 24 h after thrombolytic therapy. Reperfusion of the is chemic area was obtained in 10 patients. In these patients clinical im provement was greater the shorter the delay from symptom onset to init iation of treatment. Three of the 23 patients died, one of a parenchym atous hematoma, one of a large middle cerebral artery infarct, and one of acute myocardial infarction.