BACKGROUND: To reassess the use of antifibrinolytics (AF) in the management of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in the setting of present-day treatment strategies. METHOD: The authors conducted a systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis. They reviewed the PubMed database and conducted a manual review of article bibliographies. RESULTS: Using a pre-specified search strategy, 17 relevant studies involving a total of 2,872 patients with SAH at baseline, from which data of 1,380 patients having received AF, were included in a meta-analysis. Pooled odds ratios of the impact of AF on functional outcomes, rebleeding, and cerebral infarction were calculated. Short-term use of AF (72 h or less) associated with medical prevention of ischemic deficit seems to yield better results on functional outcome than long-term use of AF, especially if not associated with a medical prevention of ischemic deficit. The risk of cerebral infarction is not increased by the short-term use of AF and the risk of rebleeding is decreased independently of the length of AF use. CONCLUSIONS: The use of AF should be reconsidered in the setting of modern-era treatment strategies, as the short-term use associated with medical prevention of ischemic deficit decreases the rate of rebleeding and does not increase the risk of cerebral infarction, thus potentially yielding better protection against poor functional outcome.
BACKGROUND: To reassess the use of antifibrinolytics (AF) in the management of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in the setting of present-day treatment strategies. METHOD: The authors conducted a systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis. They reviewed the PubMed database and conducted a manual review of article bibliographies. RESULTS: Using a pre-specified search strategy, 17 relevant studies involving a total of 2,872 patients with SAH at baseline, from which data of 1,380 patients having received AF, were included in a meta-analysis. Pooled odds ratios of the impact of AF on functional outcomes, rebleeding, and cerebral infarction were calculated. Short-term use of AF (72 h or less) associated with medical prevention of ischemic deficit seems to yield better results on functional outcome than long-term use of AF, especially if not associated with a medical prevention of ischemic deficit. The risk of cerebral infarction is not increased by the short-term use of AF and the risk of rebleeding is decreased independently of the length of AF use. CONCLUSIONS: The use of AF should be reconsidered in the setting of modern-era treatment strategies, as the short-term use associated with medical prevention of ischemic deficit decreases the rate of rebleeding and does not increase the risk of cerebral infarction, thus potentially yielding better protection against poor functional outcome.
Authors: Merih I Baharoglu; Menno R Germans; Gabriel J E Rinkel; Ale Algra; Marinus Vermeulen; Jan van Gijn; Yvo B W E M Roos Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2013-08-30
Authors: R Post; M R Germans; H D Boogaarts; B Ferreira Dias Xavier; R Van den Berg; B A Coert; W P Vandertop; D Verbaan Journal: PLoS One Date: 2019-02-07 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: René Post; Menno R Germans; Bert A Coert; Gabriël J E Rinkel; W Peter Vandertop; Dagmar Verbaan Journal: Trials Date: 2020-02-18 Impact factor: 2.279
Authors: Wendy C Ziai; Stanley Tuhrim; Karen Lane; Nichol McBee; Kennedy Lees; Jesse Dawson; Kenneth Butcher; Paul Vespa; David W Wright; Penelope M Keyl; A David Mendelow; Carlos Kase; Christine Wijman; Marc Lapointe; Sayona John; Richard Thompson; Carol Thompson; Steven Mayo; Pat Reilly; Scott Janis; Issam Awad; Daniel F Hanley Journal: Int J Stroke Date: 2013-08-28 Impact factor: 5.266
Authors: Menno R Germans; René Post; Bert A Coert; Gabriël J E Rinkel; W Peter Vandertop; Dagmar Verbaan Journal: Trials Date: 2013-05-16 Impact factor: 2.279