• Julian Maingard, Yasmin Shvarts, Ronan Motyer, Vincent Thijs, Paul Brennan, Alan O'Hare, Seamus Looby, John Thornton, Joshua A Hirsch, Christen D Barras, Ronil V Chandra, Mark Brooks, Hamed Asadi, and Hong K Kok.
• Interventional Neuroradiology Service, Radiology Department, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
• Intern Med J. 2019 Mar 1; 49 (3): 345-351.

BackgroundEndovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for management of large vessel occlusion (LVO) acute ischaemic stroke is now current best practice.AimTo determine if bridging intravenous (i.v.) alteplase therapy confers any clinical benefit.MethodsA retrospective study of patients treated with EVT for LVO was performed. Outcomes were compared between patients receiving thrombolysis and EVT with EVT alone. Primary end-points were reperfusion rate, 90-day functional outcome and mortality using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (sICH).ResultsA total of 355 patients who underwent EVT was included: 210 with thrombolysis (59%) and 145 without (41%). The reperfusion rate was higher in the group receiving i.v. tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) (unadjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.2, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.29-3.73, P = 0.004), although this effect was attenuated when all variables were considered (adjusted OR (AOR) 1.22, 95% CI: 0.60-2.5, P = 0.580). The percentage achieving functional independence (mRS 0-2) at 90 days was higher in patients who received bridging i.v. tPA (AOR 2.17, 95% CI: 1.06-4.44, P = 0.033). There was no significant difference in major complications, including sICH (AOR 1.4, 95% CI: 0.51-3.83, P = 0.512). There was lower 90-day mortality in the bridging i.v. tPA group (AOR 0.79, 95% CI: 0.36-1.74, P = 0.551). Fewer thrombectomy passes (2 versus 3, P = 0.012) were required to achieve successful reperfusion in the i.v. tPA group. Successful reperfusion (modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction ≥2b) was the strongest predictor for 90-day functional independence (AOR 10.4, 95% CI:3.6-29.7, P < 0.001).ConclusionOur study supports the current practice of administering i.v. alteplase before endovascular therapy.© 2018 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

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