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Intracranial bleeding with thrombolytic therapy in elderly patients with pulmonary embolism is far less frequent than death if unstable and thrombolytic therapy is withheld (42.6% mortality if untreated, aged 61-70, and no comorbid conditions vs 9.3% mortality with thrombolytic therapy; 47.0% mortality with comorbid conditions if untreated vs 21.6% if treated). In patients >65 years or with kidney disease, intracranial hemorrhage occurred in 1.4% with thrombolytic therapy. Intracranial hemorrhage with thrombolytic therapy in elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction also occurred in 1.4%. With ≥ 5 risk factors for bleeding, intracranial hemorrhage occurred in 4.11%. Lethal or intracranial bleeding occurred in 1.1% of patients with myocardial infarction who received thrombolytic therapy in 2006. The prevalence of hemorrhagic stroke with thrombolytic therapy in those with a low body weight was
Source: The American Journal of Medicine - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Tags: Letters Source Type: research