The influence of unexpected early termination of intravenous rt-PA treatment on clinical outcome in acute ischemic stroke patients

Introduction: This study aimed to explore the impact of unexpected early termination during intravenous thrombolysis on clinical prognosis in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

Methods: Patients who received intravenous thrombolysis were divided into an early termination group and a normal treatment group. The causes of unexpected termination were analyzed, and the prognosis was compared between the groups.

Results: The main causes of early termination of thrombolytic therapy included subjective wishes of family members (11.8%, 4) and persistently elevated blood pressure (14.7%, 5). The effective rate of thrombolytic therapy in the early termination group was significantly lower than that in the normal treatment group (P < 0.05). The rate of early neurological deterioration in the early termination group was significantly higher than that in the normal treatment group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage after thrombolysis between the two groups (P > 0.05). The average mRS score of the early termination group was significantly higher than that of the normal treatment group (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated that early termination of thrombolytic therapy and cumulative dosage of rt-PA before termination were the main factors affecting the 3-month prognosis.

Conclusion: Subjective wishes of family members and persistently elevated blood pressure may be the main causes of early termination of thrombolysis, and the 3-month prognosis of patients could be adversely affected by early termination of thrombolytic therapy and cumulative dosage of rt-PA. Certain measures, such as popularizing thrombolytic health education and optimizing blood pressure management before and during thrombolysis, may be helpful for the normal operation of intravenous thrombolysis.