title: Intracranial hemorrhage, outcome, and mortality after intra-arterial therapy for acute ischemic stroke in patients under oral anticoagulants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Use of intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (IV tPA) for acute ischemic stroke is restricted to patients with an international normalized ratio (INR) less than 1.7. However, a recent study showed increased risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage after IV tPA use in patients with oral anticoagulants (OAC) even with an INR less than 1.7. The present study assessed the risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, clinical outcome, and mortality after intra-arterial therapy (IAT) in patients with and without previous use of OAC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients treated with IAT from December 1992 to October 2010 were included. Clinical outcome and mortality were assessed 90 days after stroke onset. Patients with and without previous use of OAC were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 714 patients were treated with IAT. Twenty-eight patients (3.9%) were under OAC at time of symptom onset. Median INR in the OAC group was 1.79 (interquartile range [IQR], 1.41-2.3) and 1.01 (IQR, 1.0-1.09; P<0.0001) in the group without OAC. Patients treated with OAC at admission underwent more often mechanical-only IAT than did patients without OAC (46.4% versus 12.8%; P<0.0001). Comparing patients with and without previous use of OAC, we did not find any statistical difference in the rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (7.1% versus 6.0%; P=0.80), unfavorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale score, 3-6; 67.9% versus 50.9%; P=0.11), and mortality (17.9% versus 21.6%; P=0.58).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Previous use of OAC did not significantly increase the risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage after IAT or the risk of unfavorable outcome and mortality 90 days after IAT.
authors: Department of Neurology, Inselspital, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse 10, 3010 Bern, Switzerland.
authors: Gian Marco
authors: GM
authors: De Marchis
authors: Simon
authors: S
authors: Jung
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Colucci
authors: Niklaus
authors: N
authors: Meier
authors: Urs
authors: U
authors: Fischer
authors: Anja
authors: A
authors: Weck
authors: Marie-Luise
authors: ML
authors: Mono
authors: Aekaterini
authors: A
authors: Galimanis
authors: Heinrich P
authors: HP
authors: Mattle
authors: Gerhard
authors: G
authors: Schroth
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Gralla
authors: Marcel
authors: M
authors: Arnold
authors: Caspar
authors: C
authors: Brekenfeld
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator