Simple Estimates of Symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage Risk and Outcome after Intravenous Thrombolysis Using Age and Stroke Severity

Several models have been developed to predict the risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH) and functional outcome in patients treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV-TPA).Although a more complex model provides more precise estimates, its application to a practice setting requiring emergent decision and swift treatment is limited. 1-10Among numerous clinical and imaging variables, age and stroke severity are immediately accessible and powerful predictors of SICH risk and functional outcome after IV-TPA treatment.We aimed to provide simple estimates of SICH risk and good functional outcome, based on the patients' age and initial National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score.