title: Thrombolytic treatment for acute occlusion of the basilar artery.
abstract: Sixteen patients with acute occlusion of the basilar artery were treated with systemic fibrinolysis. Recanalisation was achieved in 10 patients; five patients survived and 11 patients died. Survival was associated with vascular recanalisation in every case. Most of the survivors were younger than 50. An age above 50 and a comatose state on admission seem to indicate a poor clinical outcome. The problem of multimorbidity in the older age group also affects outcome adversely. Haemorrhagic complications were found in two cases (12.5%), with clinical deterioration in one.
authors.affiliation: Neurologische Abteilung, Landes Nerven Klinik, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huemer
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Niederwieser
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ladurner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001488:Basilar Artery; D005260:Female; D005342:Fibrinolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D006493:Heparin; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator