Low-dose rescue tirofiban in mechanical thrombectomy for acute cerebral large-artery occlusion

Background and purpose Tirofiban administration during mechanical thrombectomy (MT) remains controversial. The aim was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a low-dose rescue tirofiban regimen during MT for Chinese acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) patients. Methods Patients from the ANGEL study, a multicentric, prospective registry study that included AIS patients who underwent MT owing to proximal large-artery occlusion from June 2015 to December 2017, were collected. The patients were dichotomized into tirofiban and non-tirofiban groups according to whether rescue tirofiban was performed during MT. Safety outcomes [symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage (sICH), total intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) and distal embolization] and efficacy outcomes (artery recanalization and functional outcomes at 3-month follow-up) were compared between groups using logistic regression analysis. Results A total of 662 patients were included in this study, and 230 (34.7%) were in the tirofiban group. No significant differences in safety outcomes on sICH, total ICH and distal embolization and efficacy outcomes on artery recanalization and 3-month functional independence were observed between the tirofiban and non-tirofiban group in the entire cohort or the anterior circulation stroke or posterior circulation stroke patients (P > 0.05 for all groups). However, low-dose rescue tirofiban was significantly correlated with 3-month mortality reduction for posterior circulation stroke patients [adjusted hazard ratio 0.35 (0.14-0.92), P = 0.03]. Conclusions Low-dose rescue tirofiban during MT was not associated with increased risk of sICH, ICH and distal embolization for AIS patients, and may be correlated with 3-month mortality reduction for posterior circulation stroke.