Clinical outcomes of ischemic stroke patients after thrombolytic therapy

Objective: To analyze outcomes and associated factors in ischemic stroke patients submitted to thrombolytic therapy. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of ischemic stroke patients submitted to thrombolytic therapy. Comorbidities, neurologic deficits and time of thrombolysis were described. The chi-squared test was used to assess association among comorbidities, time of thrombolysis, and occurrence of hemorrhagic transformation. Results: There was a high frequency of comorbidities. Mean neurological deficit score was 15 points. Mean time window was 98 minutes and needle-to-door time, 89.9 minutes. Hemorrhagic transformation was observed in 20 patients. Bivariate analysis revealed that hemorrhagic transformation was associated with greater neurologic deficit score, atrial fibrillation and heart disease. Neurologic deficit fell from 51% to 12.5% between admission and discharge. Conclusion: Thrombolytic therapy presented positive outcomes, regardless of long thrombolysis time and high neurologic deficit scores.