Predictors of Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Acute Stroke Patients Receiving Intravenous Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator

BACKGROUND: Symptomatic Intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) is a serious complication of recombinant tissue-plasminogen activator (rt-PA) therapy for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence and predictors of sICH in patients after receiving IV rt-PA for AIS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Consecutive patients of AIS thrombolysed between January 2010 and June 2016 in a University hospital in Hyderabad (India) were studied prospectively for sICH and it's various variables compared with the control group without sICH to determine any sigificantant difference. RESULTS: Out of 113 patients , sICH was detected in 12 (10.61%) whose mean age(58±12.0 years) and gender ratio ( 2:1 ) was not statistically significant from controls. In s ICH group mean NIHSS score was 16.53± 5.81 vs 10.19± 5.06 in controls (p<0.001), gap between stroke onset and thrombolysis was 227.50±46.15 min vs 178.50± 69.20 min in controls(p=0.018). At presentation mean blood sugar was 208.75±90.97 mg/dl in sICH group vs 146.83±70.21 mg/dl in controls (p=0.002). Prior diabetes was in 7(53.30%) vs 23 (22.8%) in controls (p= 0.014)and hypertension in 11 (91.7%) vs (56(55.4%) in controls (p= 0.026) The mortality in sICH was 7 (58.30%)vs 4 (4.94%) in controls (p<.0.001). At 3 months mean mRS ofsICH patients was 5.57± 0.54 vs 2.17± 1.69 in controls (p<.05). CONCLUSION: High NIHSS score, increased stroke onset to thrombolysis time , high blood sugar at presentation ,prior diabetes and hypertension increase the chances of sICH. None of these contraindicate thrombolysing strokes but should caution the physician.