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September, 2026
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Sohail Khan: What Comes After IV Thrombolysis
Sep 1, 2026, 15:20

Sohail Khan: What Comes After IV Thrombolysis

Sohail Khan, Medical Student at Khyber Medical College, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“You have administered intravenous thrombolysis for an acute ischaemic stroke.

When is it safe to initiate antiplatelet therapy?

Major clinical guidelines (AHA/ASA, NICE) recommend withholding antiplatelet agents for 24 hours post-thrombolysis.

Clinical management sequence:

Defer for 24 hours: Hold aspirin, clopidogrel, or parenteral anticoagulants for at least 24 hours following alteplase or tenecteplase infusion.

Early administration significantly increases the risk of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage.

Follow-up neuroimaging: Obtain a repeat non-contrast CT or MRI brain scan at 24 hours to rule out haemorrhagic transformation.

Initiate antiplatelet therapy: Once post-thrombolysis imaging excludes bleeding, start aspirin (160–300 mg daily).

Special exception: In patients undergoing endovascular thrombectomy who require emergent carotid or intracranial stenting, antiplatelet timing must be individually tailored in consultation with a stroke consultant and neurointerventionalist.

Key takeaway: Always confirm the absence of intracranial haemorrhage on 24-hour follow-up imaging before giving the first dose of aspirin post-thrombolysis.”

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