Early administration of tirofiban after urokinase-mediated intravenous thrombolysis reduces early neurological deterioration in patients with branch atheromatous disease

Objectives To investigate the effects of early administration of tirofiban after intravenous thrombolysis on early neurological deterioration in patients with branch atheromatous disease. Methods We analyzed clinical data from patients with branch atheromatous disease. We enrolled seven cases into the urokinase-only (UO) control group and 10 cases into the urokinase + tirofiban (UT) treatment group. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores were obtained at admission and on days 3 and 5 after admission. Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores were obtained 3 months after admission. Results Significant differences between the UO and UT groups were evident on days 3 and 5 after admission. In the UT group, there was a significant difference between NIHSS scores at admission and on day 5, while there were no significant differences in scores in the UO group. The early neurological deterioration rates were not significantly different between the two groups. However, there were significant differences in these rates at 72 and 120 hours. Both the mRS scores and the prognoses at 3 months differed between the two groups. Conclusion Early administration of tirofiban after urokinase-mediated intravenous thrombolysis reduces early neurological deterioration and improves the long-term prognosis of patients with branch atheromatous disease.