Thrombolysis in Patients With Marked Clinical Fluctuations in Neurologic Status Due to Cerebral Ischemia

Background It is unclear whether thrombolysis benefits patients with fluctuating neurologic symptoms. Objective To evaluate the clinical course of patients with acute stroke who presented with marked fluctuations in neurologic status and received thrombolytic therapy. Design Prospective analysis. Setting London Health Science Centre University Hospital, London. Patients We prospectively identified patients who were treated with intravenous or intra-arterial recombinant tissue plasminogen activator between January 1, 2004, and January 1, 2006. For this analysis, we chose patients who had marked fluctuation in neurologic status at presentation and who received thrombolytic therapy. Main Outcome Measure Fluctuation of neurologic deficits, defined as a 4-point or greater increase or decrease in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score. Results Among 127 patients, 13 (10.2%) had clinical fluctuations. Patients with fluctuations presented with a lower NIHSS score (median, 7; interquartile range, 10-17) compared with patients without fluctuations (median, 12; interquartile range, 10-17) ( P Conclusion Thrombolysis may benefit patients with fluctuating symptoms or signs due to cerebral ischemia.