Platelet Transfusion for Intracerebral Hemorrhage Associated with Antiplatelet Therapy

Antiplatelet agents such as aspirin and clopidogrel are used in treatment and prophylaxis for cerebrovascular disease, but they are associated with a small risk for intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Past studies have shown that aspirin treatment was associated with an absolute increase in hemorrhagic stroke risk of 12 events per 10,000 persons (JAMA 1998; 280:1930).

In an open-label, randomized trial at 60 European hospitals, 190 adult patients were enrolled within 6 hours after ICH symptom onset if they had been on antiplatelet therapy for 7 or more days beforehand and had a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 8 or higher. Between 2009 and 2015, patients were assigned to receive standard care with or without platelet transfusion within 90 minutes of d…