Outcomes in minor stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis

AIMS: Our study aimed to describe the short‐, medium‐, and long‐term outcomes of intravenous thrombolysis in minor stroke, and to explore the relationship between thrombolysis and clinical outcomes. METHODS: Our study included ischemic minor stroke patients (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≤ 5) within 4.5 h from symptom onset from the Third China National Stroke Registry (CNSR‐III) between August 2015 and March 2018. The primary outcome was a favorable functional outcome, defined as a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0–1 at 3 months. The secondary outcomes included mRS score of 0–1 at discharge, 6 months, and 1 year. The safety outcomes were symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) at 24–36 h and all‐cause mortality. The association between intravenous thrombolysis and clinical outcomes was studied using multivariable models. RESULTS: A total of 1905 minor ischemic stroke patients were included. Overall 527 patients (28%) received intravenous t‐PA (IV t‐PA) and 1378 patients (72%) in the non‐IV t‐PA group. Of them, 18.85% (359/1905) participants had a disabled outcome (defined as mRS score ≥ 2) at discharge, 12.8% (242/1885) at 3 months, 13.9% (262/1886) at 6 months, and 13.9% (260/1871) at 1 year. In multivariable analysis, IV t‐PA was associated with favorable functional outcomes at discharge (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13–1.96; p = 0.004), 3 months (aOR 1.51; 95% CI 1.09–2.10; p = 0.01), 6 months (aOR 1.64; 95% CI 1.19–2.27; p = 0.003), and 1 year (aOR 1.52; 95% CI 1.10–2.10; p = 0.01). Symptomatic ICH occurred in 3 (0.6%) patients in IV t‐PA versus 2 (0.1%) in the non‐IV t‐PA group. No significant differences were found in all‐cause mortality between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous t‐PA may be safe and effective in minor stroke (NIHSS ≤ 5) within a 4.5‐h window and further randomized controlled trials are warranted.