Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rTPA) management for first onset acute ischemic stroke with covid -19 and non-covid -19 patients

Cerebrovascular stroke (CVS) is one of the well-known complications of coronavirus-2019 (Covid-19), but less is known about the outcome and safety of thrombolytic therapy in these patients. In this study we compare the efficacy and safety of Tissue plasminogen activator (rTPA) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with or without Covid-19 infection. A comparative prospective study in which all patients who presented with AIS and eligible for rTPA were recruited from the emergency department and classified into 2 groups (AIS with Covid-19 infection and AIS without Covid-19 as controls). Demographic data, symptoms of Covid-19, clinical examination, neuroimaging, and laboratory investigations were obtained in each patient. National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and the Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) were assessed before, immediately after rTPA, and 3 months later. There were 22 patients in the COVID-19 group and 25 control patients. Those with COVID-19 were more likely to have a history of smoking and Diabetes Mellitus than controls. On admission, motor symptoms were more severe in patients with COVID-19. COVID-19 patients were more likely to have symptomatic intra-cerebral hemorrhage and radiological hemorrhagic transformation than controls. Onset to door time (ODT) and onset to successful reperfusion time were significantly longer in Covid-19 patients than controls. Clinical improvement and frequency of re-occlusion and recurrent ischemic stroke at 3 months follow-up did not differ between groups, although there was higher number of deaths (27.3%) in the Covid-19 group than controls (16%). Using rTPA is safe and effective in patients with AIS with or without COVID-19 infection despite the high frequency of hemorrhagic transformation and high number of deaths.