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Effect of Intra-arterial Alteplase vs Placebo Following Successful Thrombectomy on Functional Outcomes in Patients With Large Vessel Occlusion Acute Ischemic Stroke: The CHOICE Randomized Clinical Trial

A. Renú, M. Millán, L. San Román, J. Blasco, J. Martí-Fábregas, M. Terceño, S. Amaro, J. Serena et al.

Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), 2022

1,825 participants · 338 citations

Abstract

Importance

It is estimated that only 27% of patients with acute ischemic stroke and large vessel occlusion who undergo successful reperfusion after mechanical thrombectomy are disability free at 90 days. An incomplete microcirculatory reperfusion might contribute to these suboptimal clinical benefits.

Objective

To investigate whether treatment with adjunct intra-arterial alteplase after thrombectomy improves outcomes following reperfusion.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Phase 2b randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial performed from December 2018 through May 2021 in 7 stroke centers in Catalonia, Spain. The study included 121 patients with large vessel occlusion acute ischemic stroke treated with thrombectomy within 24 hours after stroke onset and with an expanded Treatment in Cerebral Ischemia angiographic score of 2b50 to 3.

Interventions

Participants were randomized to receive intra-arterial alteplase (0.225 mg/kg; maximum dose, 22.5 mg) infused over 15 to 30 minutes (n = 61) or placebo (n = 52).

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was the difference in proportion of patients achieving a score of 0 or 1 on the 90-day modified Rankin Scale (range, 0 [no symptoms] to 6 [death]) in all patients treated as randomized. Safety outcomes included rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and death.

Results

The study was terminated early for inability to maintain placebo availability and enrollment rate because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of 1825 patients…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 1,825 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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