Conscious sedation in non comatose patients submitted to intra - arterial thrombolysis: our experience

Recent studies have demonstrated that general anesthesia worsen outcome of patients affected by acute ischemic stroke (AIS) who underwent intra arterial thrombolysis [1]. General anesthesia (GA) guarantees adequate oxygenation and prevents pneumonia aspiration. On the other hand general anesthesia induces hypotension worsening brain injury. Futhermore it does not allow to verify early recovery of neurological deficits during the procedure. Conscious sedation (CS) can represent a valid and reliable option in non comatose patients suffering from AIS and candidated to endovascular reperfusion procedure [2].