Safety of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy with Argatroban in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

To prevent early neurological worsening or recurrence in stroke patients with intracranial arterial stenosis or branch atheromatous disease, aggressive antithrombotic therapy, such as dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with or without anticoagulant therapy, is warranted. Such an aggressive antithrombotic therapy, however, may increase the bleeding risk. We studied the risks of DAPT with the anticoagulant argatroban in patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Between October 2011 and September 2015, 341 patients with stroke or TIA, who received DAPT with argatroban within 48 hours after onset, were retrospectively studied. The endpoint was any bleeding event during hospitalization or 30 days after admission. Median duration of DAPT was 12 days, and 66% of the patients received intravenous heparin (median duration, 5 days) following argatroban. No symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhages were observed, while severe, moderate, and mild extracranial hemorrhages occured in one (0.3%), three (0.9%), and four (1.2%) patients, respectively. In conclusion, DAPT with argatroban can be safely administered to patients with acute ischemic stroke or TIA. (Received July 24, 2017; Accepted January 15, 2018; Published May 1, 2018).