title: Registry report on kinetics of rescue antiplatelet treatment to abolish cerebral microemboli after carotid endarterectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cerebral microemboli signals (MES) are associated with increased risk of acute stroke syndromes. We compared the effects on cerebral microemboli after carotid endarterectomy of tirofiban with dextran-40.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used transcranial Doppler ultrasound to study transient MES acutely after carotid endarterectomy between August 2000 and December 2010 in 128 subjects refractory to preoperative antiplatelet treatment. Antithrombotic treatment was given for MES ≥50 hour(-1) (tirofiban: 40 patients [age 74 ± 1 {SEM}, males 27, and white 38]; dextran-40: 34 patients [age 69 ± 2, males 22, white 30]). In 54 patients with MES <50 hour(-1) (age 71 ± 1, male 36, white 52), MES were monitored during their spontaneous resolution (controls). Data are median (interquartile range).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The time to 50% reduction in MES (tirofiban 23 minutes [15-28]; dextran-56 [43-83]; controls 30 [22-38]; P<0.001, Kruskal-Wallis analysis) and for complete MES resolution (tirofiban 68 minutes [53-94]; dextran-113 [79-146]; controls 53 [49-68]; P<0.001, Kruskal-Wallis analysis) were shorter with tirofiban. The early cardiovascular event rate was similar with tirofiban compared with controls but increased in patients who received dextran.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that transcranial Doppler-directed tirofiban therapy is more effective than dextran-40 in suppression of cerebral microemboli after carotid endarterectomy.
authors.affiliation: FRCP, FRCS, UHCW NHS Trust, Coventry CV2 2DX, UK.
authors.forename: Mahmud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saedon
authors.forename: Donald R J
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.forename: Raymand
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tiivas
authors.forename: Charles E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Hutchinson
authors.forename: Christopher H E
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Imray
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020766:Intracranial Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors