Revascularization outcomes following acute ischemic stroke in patients taking direct oral anticoagulants: a single hospital cohort study

AbstractSuccessful revascularization therapy is of paramount importance in patients suffering acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, there is currently only limited evidence on revascularization outcomes for patients suffering AIS while treated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). The aim of our study was to determine the efficacy and safety of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and mechanical reperfusion (MeR) in AIS patients taking DOACs, and compare them to randomized clinical trials (RCTs), which included patients without DOAC treatment. In an observational cohort study, we analyzed clinical and radiological outcomes following AIS for all consecutive patients on DOAC therapy treated by IVT or MeR, between 2013 and 2019, at the University Medical Center Ljubljana. Patients in the IVT group were on dabigatran treatment and have received idarucizumab as a reversal agent prior to IVT. Patients in the MeR group had a large vessel occlusion. The primary outcome of the study was efficiency, defined as significant improvement after recanalization (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score improvement of ≥8 points after 24 h and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ≤2 after 3 months) and safety, defined as occurrence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) and mortality. Fifty-one DOAC-treated patients with AIS were included. Nineteen dabigatran-treated patients received IVT after reversal by id arucizumab. Thirty-two patients with a large vessel occlusion (12 on...
Source: Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis - Category: Hematology Source Type: research