Do the Antithrombotic Therapy at the Time of Intracerebral Hemorrhage Influence Clinical Outcome? Analysis Between the Difference of Antiplatelet and Anticoagulant Agents and Clinical Course

Background: It is controversial whether taking antiplatelet agents (APs) or anticoagulant agents (ACs) could influence clinical outcome after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

Methods: We retrospectively investigated 557 ICH patients between September 2008 and August 2013. We reviewed patients' characteristics, hematoma volume, deterioration (hematoma expansion, surgical hematoma evacuation, or death), and clinical outcome in modified Rankin Scale.

Results: A total of 397 were classified as neither AP nor AC ("Nothing"), 81 as single AP (44 as aspirin [ASA], 22 as clopidogrel or ticlopidine [CLP/TIC], 7 as cilostazol, 8 as dual antiplatelet therapy), 43 as single AC (40 as warfarin, 2 as rivaroxaban, 1 as dabigatran), and 36 as both AP and AC (AP + AC). The clinical outcome was worse in APs than in "Nothing" (P = .021). Among APs, CLP/TIC showed poorer clinical outcome than ASA (P = .020). Deterioration was observed more frequently in AC than in "Nothing" (P < .001) and the clinical outcome was also worse in AC than in "Nothing" (P < .001). AP + AC use resulted in deterioration more frequently than "Nothing" (P < .001) and in poorer outcome than in "Nothing" (P < .001).

Conclusions: The use of antithrombotic agents could be associated with the deterioration after admission and the poor clinical outcome. CLP/TIC use may affect the poor outcome compared with ASA use.