title: Upper limb compartment syndrome: an unusual complication of stroke thrombolysis.
abstract: Bleeding is the most important complication of treatment with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke. Neurologists are familiar with intracranial hemorrhage, the most feared site for bleeding following thrombolysis, but extracranial bleeding can also occur resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality. We describe an 88-year-old woman with an acute stroke who developed bleeding into the left arm complicated by hemodynamic instability and compartment syndrome following intravenous thrombolysis. The patient was treated conservatively in view of the risks associated with fasciotomy and her other medical comorbidities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Auckland District Health Board, Auckland City Hospital, Park Road, Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand. Electronic address: wallaceb@adhb.govt.nz.
authors.forename: Wallace J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Brownlee
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Auckland District Health Board, Auckland City Hospital, Park Road, Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Teddy Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Auckland District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Stephanie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Van Dijck
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Auckland District Health Board, Auckland City Hospital, Park Road, Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Barry J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Snow
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001132:Arm / Q000473:pathology*; D003161:Compartment Syndromes / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*
keywords: Compartment syndrome; Stroke; Thrombolysis