Hemorrhagic complications of thrombolytic therapy.
Thrombolytic therapy salvages ischemic myocardium by rapidly reestablishing coronary artery patency in acute myocardial infarction. One of its major limitations is the complication of hemorrhage. A retrospective study of myocardial infarction patients who received thrombolytic therapy was performed to determine risk factors associated with a hemorrhagic event. Three hundred fifty patients were enrolled, and 20 (5.7%) had a bleeding complication, including four patients (1.1%) who had an intracranial hemorrhage. The factors associated with an increased risk for a significant hemorrhagic event were age (> 65 years) and female gender. Factors associated with an intracranial hemorrhage were age (> 65 years) and a history of hypertension.
D000368:Aged; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*