Thrombolysis in chinese ischemic stroke patients with renal dysfunction

Current data concerning the relationship between renal function and clinical outcome among stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolytic therapy are conflicting. Our aim is to analyze whether the clinical outcome of Chinese ischemic stroke patients treated with thrombolytic therapy is affected by the presence of renal dysfunction.

Chinese patients who received intravenous thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke were recruited. Renal dysfunction was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <90 ml/min/1.73 m(2). The primary outcome was independent function (modified Rankin Scale, mRS, 0-2) at 3 months, while secondary outcomes included early improvement of the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of ≥4 points at 24 h, symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) within 36 h of treatment and 30-day mortality.

A total of 199 patients were recruited, of whom 51.3% had renal dysfunction. There were no significant differences in functional independence at 3 months, NIHSS improvement at 24 h post-thrombolysis and 30-day mortality between patients with or without renal dysfunction. Multivariate analysis showed that eGFR as a continuous variable was not an independent risk factor for symptomatic ICH.

Chinese ischemic stroke patients with renal dysfunction who received thrombolytic therapy had clinical outcomes similar to those without renal dysfunction.