Increasing use of rt-PA does not affect safety in acute stroke

Background: Intravenous thrombolysis with rt-PA improves outcome in acute ischemic stroke. In a prospective study we analyzed the annual frequency of rt-PA treatment, its safety, and early clinical outcome. Methods: All patients admitted to our stroke unit (SU) from 1998 to 2003 were registered in a prospective data base. Documented data included patient age, sex, time interval until admission, initial therapy (e.g., thrombolysis), death, intracerebral hemorrhage, other complications, and score on the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Results: From 1998 to 2003, a total of 112 patients were trea…