title: The role of additional computed tomography in the decision-making process on the secondary prevention in patients after systemic cerebral thrombolysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with ischemic stroke undergoing intravenous (iv)-thrombolysis are routinely controlled with computed tomography on the second day to assess stroke evolution and hemorrhagic transformation (HT). However, the benefits of an additional computed tomography (aCT) performed over the next days after iv-thrombolysis have not been determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively screened 287 Caucasian patients with ischemic stroke who were consecutively treated with iv-thrombolysis from 2008 to 2012. The results of computed tomography performed on the second (control computed tomography) and seventh (aCT) day after iv-thrombolysis were compared in 274 patients (95.5%); 13 subjects (4.5%), who died before the seventh day from admission were excluded from the analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  aCTs revealed a higher incidence of HT than control computed tomographies (14.2% vs 6.6%; P=0.003). Patients with HT in aCT showed higher median of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score on admission than those without HT (13.0 vs 10.0; P=0.01) and higher presence of ischemic changes >1/3 middle cerebral artery territory (66.7% vs 35.2%; P<0.01). Correlations between presence of HT in aCT and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score on admission (rpbi 0.15; P<0.01), and the ischemic changes >1/3 middle cerebral artery (phi=0.03) existed, and the presence of HT in aCT was associated with 3-month mortality (phi=0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  aCT after iv-thrombolysis enables higher detection of HT, which is related to higher 3-month mortality. Thus, patients with severe middle cerebral artery infarction may benefit from aCT in the decision-making process on the secondary prophylaxis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Stroke, Unit of Holy Spirit Specialist Hospital in Sandomierz, Sandomierz, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sobolewski
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kozera
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Stroke, Unit of Holy Spirit Specialist Hospital in Sandomierz, Sandomierz, Poland.
authors.forename: Wiktor
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Szczuchniak
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Walenty M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Nyka
keywords: computed tomography; hemorrhagic transformation; ischemic stroke; iv-thrombolysis