title: Thrombolysis on ischemic stroke patients with decreased level of consciousness within 4.5 h.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Few reports concerned on recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) treatment in stroke patients with decreased consciousness. This study assesses the efficacy and safety of intravenous rt-PA administration within 4.5 h in stroke patients with decreased consciousness.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 136 stroke patients with decreased consciousness, who received or not rt-PA intravenously within 4.5 h after stroke onset from Jiangsu province of China from 2009 to 2012, were reviewed retrospectively. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), intracranial hemorrhage rate, and mortality were used to determine patient outcome when discharged. A 3-month outcome was calculated by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) with score 0 to 1 considered favorable outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline characteristics of two groups were similar. When discharged, no significant differences were observed regarding NIHSS score (P = 0.994) or GCS score (P = 0.591) between groups. After 3 months, 22.8% patients in rt-PA group had favorable outcome as compared with 7.5% patients in control group (P = 0.014). Treatment with rt-PA did not significantly increase incidence of hemorrhage (P = 0.494) or mortality (P = 0.169).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravenous rt-PA administration within 4.5 h after onset of symptoms benefited stroke patients with abnormal consciousness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, China.
authors.forename: Cong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Bei-Lei
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Guo-Fang
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhi-Qiang
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Jun-Shan
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Qian-Tao
authors.initials: QT
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Ming-Hua
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Mei-Juan
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lai
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003243:Consciousness / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator