Use Of Thrombolytic Therapy Research Articles

The algorithm of reperfusion treatment of the ischemic stroke: focus on DAWN and DEFUSE-3 trials

The history of reperfusion treatment for ischemic stroke was officially recognized in 1996, when the use of systemic thrombolytic therapy (TLT) was authorized in the United States of America and the first clinical guidelines were published (American Heart Association (AHA) Stroke Council). The use of TLT for the treatment of ischemic stroke in the Russian Federation began in 2005–2006. The next step was the development of endovascular reperfusion techniques (2005) following the presentation of the results of the MERCI study, which evaluated the safety and efficacy of microconductors for fragmentation and destruction of blood clots. Currently, neurologists working with patients with acute cerebrovascular accidents are guided by national regulatory documents — order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation dated by November 15, 2012 No. 928n “On approval of the Procedure for providing medical care to patients with acute cerebrovascular accidents” and the Protocol of reperfusion therapy acute ischemic stroke (2019), which provide basic information on the methods of diagnosis and treatment of ischemic cerebral stroke, as well as international recommendations ESO, AHA/ASA, which provide grounds for increasing therapeutic options, in particular by extending the time of the “therapeutic window”. The authors of article created the algorithm for reperfusion therapy for ischemic stroke, based on the analysis and generalization of regulatory documents, clinical guidelines and the results of DAWN and DEFUSE-3 studies.

Russian register of acute pulmonary embolism SIRENA: characteristics of patients and in-hospital treatment

Aim. To assess the features of diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients of Russian hospitals.Material and methods. The register included all hospitalized patients with PE identified by any diagnostic method. Duration of inclusion was 12 months. In-hospital period management was assessed. Information about the included patients was provided by 20 hospitals from 15 Russian cities.Results. For the period from April 15, 2018 to April 15, 2019, 609 patients were included in the register (women — 50,7%, mean age — 63,0±14,5 years, minimum-maximum — 19-94 years). Among the known risk factors for PE, the most common were lower limb varicose veins (31,4%), heart failure (23,3%), previous deep vein thrombosis (19,4%), cancer (17,1%). The median time from symptom onset to suspicion/confirmation of PE was 4 days (1-3 quartiles — 1-8 days). Shortness of breath, syncope/presyncope, chest pain/discomfort, cough, leg pain or lower extremity asymmetry and hemoptysis were noted in 88,7%, 30,0%, 29,8%, 17,3%, 9,4% and 8,5% of patients, respectively. Echocardiography was performed in 89,5%, and Doppler ultrasound of lower limb veins — in 85,9% of patients. Signs of venous thrombosis were found in 57,8% of patients. Computed tomographic (CT) pulmonary angiography was performed in 89,2% of patients, pulmonary scintigraphy and pulmonary angiography — 0,8% each.Conclusion. Symptoms and main risk factors for PE in Russian patients did not fundamentally differ from those previously known. There was good adherence to modern guidelines for the diagnosis of PE, but adherence to guidelines on drug therapy met requirements only in half of the cases. There was an excessive use of TLT, as well as the use of ineffective methods of administering and monitoring anticoagulant therapy.In total, imaging technologies were used in 90,6% of patients, and signs confirming PE were found in 92,7%. Thrombolytic therapy (TLT) was performed in 25,0%; 92,0% of patients received anticoagulants. At the same time, unfractionated heparin (UFH) was injected subcutaneously in 26,3% of cases, and in one third of patients the drug was injected in doses unadjusted by body weight. In 42,7% of patients received UFH, the target activated partial thromboplastin time was not achieved. With warfarin treatment, the target international normalized ratio was achieved in only 48,4% of patients. Inferior vena cava filter placement and thrombectomy were performed in 1,3% each. During hospitalization (median — 11 days), 9,9% of patients died.

New technologies in treatment of patients in the acute period of stroke

Among the causes of death, according to the World Health Organithation, 56.7% are cardiovascular; 14.4% - cancer, trauma, poisoning and other external causes - 10.7%. In this case, stroke takes second place, second only to coronary heart disease (CHD) with myocardial infarction. The most accessible of modern methods of treating patients with ischemic stroke is systemic thrombolytic therapy (TLT). Werner Hacke, one of the founders of the use of TLT in Europe, notes that systemic TLT has been studied much better than other methods of revascularization. This method is most accessible both economically and technically. Reperfusion therapy for cerebral infarction allows you to increase the chances of a favorable outcome in the form of a decrease in mortality and an increase in the number of individuals independent in daily life. The results of the analysis of thrombolytic therapy carried out in the primary vascular department are presented.

Reperfusion therapy in ischemic stroke

Aim. To assess the main results of thrombolytic therapy (TLT) in patients with ischemic stroke (IS) in the Regional Vascular Center at the premises of Emergency Hospital in Ufa. Material and methods . A retrospective study of the TLT use was carried out in patients with acute cerebrovascular accident (CVA) who were admitted to the hospital from January 1, 2014 to December 26, 2017 The inclusion criteria were all IS cases in which patients received alteplase (actilyse) in accordance with the thrombolysis protocol. Results. There was a decrease in the number of patients with acute CVA hospitalized in the department for CVA patients. The proportion of ischemic stroke increased from 76,3% in 2014 to 79,1% in 2017 Annually, there was an increase in the number of patients with onset-to-door time <4,5 hours and reduction in door-to-needle time for thrombolysis from 1,5 hours in 2014 to 52,5 minutes in 2017 The share of TLT procedures increased from 2,4% in 2014 to 7,3% in 2017 In total, 180 (4,8%) procedures was performed. In 96% of patients there was a significant regression of neurologic deficit according to the NIH Stroke Scale after reperfusion therapy for the entire period. A complication of TLT was hemorrhagic transformation (HT), which was symptomatic in 8 (4,4%) patients. The highest 30-day mortality rate after TLT was in 2014 — 7,7%, the lowest in 2015 — 2,3%. For the entire study period, this parameter was 3,8% . Conclusion. During the study period of TLT in IS patients, there was a positive trend in the number of patients with onset-to-door time <4,5 hours and a reduction in door-to-needle time for thrombolysis. We also observed increase of total thrombolysis procedure amount, and most patients had significant neurological deficit improvement. The incidence of significant complications and mortality after TLT was lower than in the Russian Federation. The safety of TLT is based on adherence to uniform patient selection criteria and thrombolysis protocol. A personalized approach in selecting patients for TLT is a predictor of the hemorrhagic complications. The adherence to the thrombolysis algorithm and guidelines of patient management after thrombolysis contributes to the successful use of this treatment method in IS patients.

A Case of Successful Thrombolysis on the Verge of a Reperfusion Revolution in Coronary Cardiology and Vascular Neurology

Thrombolytic therapy (TLT), as a method of treatment, began to develop in the second half of the 50s of the last century. At that time, there was an accumulation of data on its effectiveness, side effects and contraindications, as well as the development of fibrinolytic drugs, such as fibrinolysin, streptokinase, urokinase, and the conditions for their administration. Official recognition of TLT in regulatory documents began only in the 80s after the development of more effective and safe tissue plasminogen activators. However, on the threshold of an era of development in this area in the treatment of patients with thrombosis of the coronary, carotid, and other peripheral vascular regions, the researchers obtained conflicting data on the results of the use of thrombolytics. There was no concept of a therapeutic window for the use of TLT, there was no data on possible combinations of thrombolytic drugs with anticoagulants, the high probability of bleeding prevented widespread introduction of the method into clinical practice. At that time, vascular imaging and laboratory diagnostics were not sufficiently developed, there was no consensus of the world's leading experts on the benefits of thrombolysis. The use of TLT in acute arterial thrombosis required not only clinical experience, but also courage and ability to make non-standard decisions. The authors of the article analyze in detail the case of rescuing a patient with progressive thrombotic occlusion of the arteries of the brain stem. Then the pioneer in the field of thrombolytic therapy E. I. Chazov and his colleagues took responsibility for the application in this situation of an insufficiently studied treatment method with uncertain consequences. This decision was not due to the identity of the patient or the threat of an internal investigation. Marshal or soldier - it did not matter for E. I. Chazov and his colleagues. If doctors in this clinical situation relied on recommendations, orders and standards, then such a patient would have to wait thrombolysis for another 30 years.