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| New thrombolytic agent "acceptable" for acute ischaemic stroke in Taiwanese |
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22 March 2006
The safety and efficacy profile of human tissue urokinase type plasminogen activator (HTUPA) in Taiwanese patients with acute ischaemic stroke is "acceptable," when administered intravenously at 0.3 mg/kg within 5 hours after symptom onset, researchers report in the journal Stroke.
The authors report two cases of fatal intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), one being the patient injected with 0.4 mg/kg, the other a patient receiving 0.3 mg/kg of HTUPA.
Asymptomatic ICH occurred in 6 patients, all of whom had received the medication in the 3 to 5 hour window. Other patients also experienced adverse events such as ecchymosis, haematuria, and upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Preliminary efficacy data showed that 24 hours after administration of HTUPA, 45% of all treated patients and 48% of the patients who received 0.3 mg/kg had major neurological improvements as defined by an improvement of 4 points or more on the NIHSS. At day 90, 34% of patients who received 0.3 mg/kg of HTUPA within 5 hours reached scores from 0 to 1 on the NIHSS, most of whom had received HTUPA within the first 3 hours.
The investigators conclude that HTUPA should be compared with t-PA in Taiwanese patients, as well as patients of other ethnic origin.
Reference:
Neurology 2006; 66 (5): 641-646.
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