Does Antiplatelet Therapy during Bridging Thrombolysis Increase Rates of Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Stroke Patients?

Abstract

Symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) after bridging thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke is a devastating complication. We aimed to assess whether the additional administration of aspirin during endovascular intervention increases bleeding rates.We retrospectively compared bleeding complications and outcome in stroke patients who received bridging thrombolysis with (tPA+ASA) and without (tPA-ASA) aspirin during endovascular intervention between November 2008 and March 2014. Furthermore, we analyzed bleeding complications and outcome in antiplatelet naïve patients with those with prior or acute antiplatelet therapy.Baseline characteristics, previous medication, and dosage of rtPA did not differ between 50 tPA+ASA (39 aspirin naïve, 11 preloaded) and 181 tPA-ASA patients (p>0.05). tPA+ASA patients had more often internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion (p0.1). There were no differences in bleeding complications and mortality among 112 bridging patients with antiplatelet therapy (62 preloaded, 39 acute administration, 11 both) and 117 antiplatelet naïve patients. In a logistic regression analysis, aspirin administration during endovascular procedure was not a predictor of sICH.Antiplatelet therapy before or during bridging thrombolysis in patients with acute ischemic stroke did not increase the risk of bleeding complications and had no impact on outcome. This finding has to be confirmed in larger studies.