A pilot study of streptokinase for acute XXXX .

@entity1 @entity64 @entity16 @entity204 @entity551 @entity1779 @entity385
We evaluated intravenous streptokinase in the treatment of @entity385 . Following neurological assessment and cerebral computed tomography (CT), @entity1 aged 40-80 years with symptoms of anterior circulation acute @entity64 were given 1.5 M units streptokinase or saline placebo in a double-blind randomized study. Twenty @entity1 (10 streptokinase, 10 placebo), 11 males, 9 females, aged 57-79 years, were treated out of 512 consecutive admissions to the @entity64 unit over a 2-year period. Initial CT was normal in 11 (6 placebo, 5 streptokinase) and showed early signs of @entity385 in nine (4 placebo, 5 streptokinase). Median times from symptom onset to treatment were 5.2 h (placebo) and 5.8 h (streptokinase). Streptokinase treatment was associated with symptomatic @entity551 in one @entity1 . Repeat CT at 72 h demonstrated @entity1779 in two @entity1 and @entity1779 in one @entity1 in the streptokinase group; the two cases of haematoma formation were associated with @entity16 and @entity204 . One @entity1 in the placebo group had evidence of @entity1779 at 72 h. There were three deaths in each treatment group, all within the first 14 days. @entity1 with @entity64 can be evaluated with CT and treated with streptokinase within 6 h, but the opportunity for treatment is currently limited to few @entity1 . Streptokinase treatment is not without risk, but potential clinical benefit justifies ongoing multicentre randomized trials.
