Post-thrombolysis haemostasis changes after rt-PA treatment in acute cerebral infarct. Correlations with cardioembolic aetiology and outcome

Supposed to be fibrin-specific, rt-PA induces a decrease in circulating fibrinogen, significantly linked to a decrease in plasminogen. A collateral increase in antifibrinolytic agents such as factor XIII and alpha2-antiplasmin is also observed. At 2 h, a significant decrease in plasminogen and a significant increase in fibrin(ogen) degradation products (FDP) are observed in cardioembolic infarcts, and appear as early independent predictors of this aetiology. A low plasminogen value at 2 h is potentially predictive of poor prognosis at 3 months.