Intravenous heparin started within the first 3 hours after onset of symptoms as a treatment for acute nonlacunar hemispheric cerebral infarctions.
OBJECTIVE
Heparin is widely used for acute stroke to prevent thrombus propagation and/or multiple emboli generation, although there is, as yet, no demonstrated efficacy. However, all of the available clinical studies allowed long intervals from stroke to treatment. The purpose of this study was to try an intravenous regimen of unfractionated heparin the acute cerebral infarction starting treatment within the first 3 hours of the onset of symptoms.


METHODS
The study was an outcome evaluator-blind design trial. Patients had to display signs of a nonlacunar hemispheric infarction. Selected patients were randomly allocated to receive intravenous heparin sodium or saline. Heparin was infused at a rate to maintain activated partial thromboplastin time ratio 2.0 to 2.5 x control for 5 days. The primary end point was recovery of a modified Rankin score zero to 2 at 90 days of stroke at phone interview by a single physician blind to treatment. Safety end points were death, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhages, and major extracranial bleedings by 90 days of stroke.


RESULTS
A total of 418 stroke patients were included. In the heparin group, there were more self-independent patients (38.9% versus 28.6%; P=0.025). In addition, in the same group, there were fewer deaths (16.8% versus 21.9%; P=0.189), more symptomatic brain hemorrhages (6.2% versus 1.4%; P=0.008), and more major extracerebral bleedings (2.9% versus 1.4%; P=0.491).


CONCLUSIONS
Intravenous heparin sodium could be of help in the earliest treatment of acute nonlacunar hemispheric cerebral infarction, even keeping into account an increased frequency of intracranial symptomatic brain hemorrhages.
Camerlingo
Massimo
M
The Second Neurological Unit, Ospedali Riuniti, Bergamo, Italy. massimo.camerlingo@virgilio.it
Salvi
Pietro
P
Belloni
Giorgio
G
Gamba
Tiziano
T
Cesana
Bruno Mario
BM
Mamoli
Angelo
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006493:Heparin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D020521:Stroke / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000925:Anticoagulants; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D006493:Heparin