Should Thrombolytic Drugs Be Added to Mechanical Thrombectomy in Acute Stroke?

Two recent trials from China studied the effect of post-thrombectomy, intra-arterial thrombolysis on neurological outcomes. One study used tenecteplase and the other used urokinase. Both studies showed a trend toward improvement that was not statistically significant, and there was an increase in brain hemorrhage. The benefit of adjunctive thrombolysis with mechanical thrombectomy is uncertain and requires more study.