Intravenous thrombolysis prior to endovascular thrombectomy in elderly stroke patients: An analysis of the National Inpatient Sample database

Background: The effectiveness of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) prior to endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), also termed bridging thrombolysis, remains uncertain, and there is limited data on its use for elderly patients who may be more prone to hemorrhagic complications. Methods: This was a large-scale cross-sectional study of the 2016–2020 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. Adult EVT patients presenting directly to thrombectomy centers without prior treatment were identified. Patient demographics, stroke risk factors, stroke etiology, medical comorbidities, and IVT treatment were recorded. Outcomes of interest include in-hospital mortality, rates of discharge to home, and hemorrhagic complications. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to account for possible confounders. Results: 35,735 EVT patients presenting directly to thrombectomy centers without prior thrombolytic treatment were identified. 32.5% (11,630 patients) were treated with bridging thrombolysis. Overall, bridging thrombolysis was significantly associated with lower rates of in-hospital mortality (8.8% vs. 11.2%, p < 0.001) and higher rates of discharge to home (38.0% vs. 28.7%, p < 0.001). IVT's association with lower odds of in-hospital mortality was significantly attenuated with increasing age (interaction p = 0.038), and there was no significant association between IVT treatment with in-hospital mortality for patients 80 years or older (OR 0.99 [95%CI 0.72–1.35], p = 0.94). Similarly, older age significantly amplifies the hemorrhagic risk associated with bridging thrombolysis (interaction p = 0.006). When considering only patients without hemorrhagic complications, age does not significantly modulate IVT's association with patient outcomes. Conclusions: Bridging thrombolysis may be associated with better outcomes; however, its benefit may be diminished among elderly patients due to higher rates of hemorrhagic complications.