Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2016
Review Meta AnalysisReview article: Why is there still a debate regarding the safety and efficacy of intravenous thrombolysis in the management of presumed acute ischaemic stroke? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
The objective of the present study is to independently and systematically assess the harms and benefits of intravenous thrombolysis for patients with presumed acute schaemic stroke. ⋯ There is clear evidence of increased early mortality, increased rates of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage and also of improved functional outcomes for patients with presumed acute ischaemic stroke treated with thrombolysis. The available data are unlikely to resolve the controversy regarding the use of intravenous thrombolysis in this population, and further randomised controlled trials are urgently required.