ABSTRACT
The major use of heparin for the treatment of acute arterial thrombosis is in certain types of stroke, in unstable angina and as adjunctive treatment following thrombolytic therapy to prevent rethrombosis. Any therapeutic measure aimed at reversing the effects of acute arterial occlusion must clearly be instituted as early as possible after the event to prevent or minimize tissue damage. Accurate and speedy diagnosis is therefore of paramount importance especially in stroke syndromes where cerebral hemorrhage must be confidently excluded prior to the initiation of antithrombotic strategies. The use of streptokinase in stroke has resulted in an unacceptably high incidence of cerebral hemorrhage, but tissue plasminogen activator may be safer and has been used effectively in vertebrobasilar stroke. The need for early institution of therapy and hemorrhagic complications are the major limiting factors in the use of thrombolytic agents.
