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on May 12, 2005

Stroke. 2005
Published online before print May 12, 2005, doi: 10.1161/01.STR.0000165918.80812.1e
A more recent version of this article appeared on June 1, 2005
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*Substance via MeSH
Medline Plus Health Information
*Angioplasty
*Stroke
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Right arrow Fibrinolysis
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Right arrow Acute Cerebral Infarction
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Right arrow Angioplasty and Stenting
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Submitted on December 20, 2004
Revised on January 28, 2005
Accepted on February 14, 2005

Aggressive Therapy With Intravenous Abciximab and Intra-Arterial rtPA and Additional PTA/Stenting Improves Clinical Outcome in Acute Vertebrobasilar Occlusion. Combined Local Fibrinolysis and Intravenous Abciximab in Acute Vertebrobasilar Stroke Treatment (FAST). Results of a Multicenter Study

Bernd Eckert MD*; Christoph Koch MD; Götz Thomalla MD; Thomas Kucinski MD; Ulrich Grzyska MD; Joachim Roether MD; Karsten Alfke MD; Olav Jansen MD; and Herrmann Zeumer MD

From the Department of Neuroradiology (B.E., T.K., U.G., H.Z.), Department of Neurology (G.T., J.R.), University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf; the Department of Neuroradiology (C.K.), University Hospital Lübeck; and the Department of Neuroradiology (K.A., O.J.), University Hospital Kiel.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: bernd.eckert{at}ak-altona.lbk-hh.de.

Background and Purpose--A combined therapy of local recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) fibrinolysis and intravenous Abciximab platelet inhibition with additional percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA)/stenting may improve recanalization and neurological outcome in patients with acute vertebrobasilar occlusion.

Methods--Combined FAST therapy consisted on intravenous bolus of Abciximab (0.25 mg/kg) followed by a 12-hour infusion therapy (0.125 µg/kg per minute) and low-dose intra-arterial rtPA (median dosage: 20 mg, FAST cohort: N=47). The results were compared with a retrospective cohort, treated by intraarterial rtPA monotherapy (median dosage: 40 mg, rtPA cohort, N=41). Additional PTA/stenting was performed in case of severe residual stenosis. Recanalization success was classified according to the Trials in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) criteria: TIMI0/1, failed recanalization; TIMI2/3, successful recanalization. Bleeding complications were evaluated according to severe extracerebral hemorrhage (ECH), asymptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (AIH), and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (SIH).

Results--Overall bleeding rate was higher under the combined therapy, but the SIH rate did not differ (FAST versus rtPA: ECH, 3% versus 0%; AIH, 32% versus 22%; SIH 13% versus 12%). Additional PTA/stenting was performed in 14 (FAST) versus 5 (rtPA) patients. TIMI2/3 recanalization rate was similar (FAST, 72%; rtPA, 68%), but TIMI3 rate was remarkably higher under combined therapy (FAST, 45%; rtPA, N=22%). Neurologic outcome appeared better under combined therapy (FAST versus rtPA: favorable outcome rate: 34% versus 17%) with a significantly lower mortality rate (FAST versus rtPA: 38% versus 68%; P=0.006). These results were consistent for embolic and atherothrombotic occlusions.

Conclusion--Combined therapy of intravenous Abciximab and half dose intra-arterial rtPA with additional PTA/stenting appears to improve neurologic outcome in acute vertebrobasilar occlusion despite an increase of overall bleeding complications.


Key words: stents • stroke, ischemic • thrombolysis




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