[Porównanie skuteczności piracetamu i dekstranu 40 tys. u chorych w podeszlym wieku z niedokrwiennym udarem mózgu].

Piracetam is believed to restore the metabolism of glucose and 02, and also to prevent the vasospasm of small arteries in the penumbra of ischaemic focus. Taking the above into account we tried to estimate its effect in elderly patients with stroke. The studied group consisted of 47 patients, aged 60-78 years (mean 67,4 yrs), with the first ischaemic episode. 23 patients were treated with 500 ml of Dextran 40 daily and 60 ml of placebo given separately. The rest of the patients was treated with the same dose of Dextran 40 and 12 g of Piracetam as 60 ml i.v. bolus. The neurological status of the patients was estimated using Scandinavian Neurological Stroke Scale (SNSS). In the patients treated with Dextran and placebo there were no changes in the total score of SNSS, both after 10 and 28 days, comparing with the initial status. In the patients treated with Dextran and Piracetam total SNSS score improved significantly after 10 days (p < 0.05) and the effect was increased after 28 days (p < 0.02). The effect of the treatment with Piracetam was especially accentuated in the patients with aphasia (n = 13), whose status showed the most powerful improvement both after 10 (p < 0.03) and 28 days (p < 0.02). The author believes that Piracetam instituted within the first hours after stroke might improve the neurological status of the patients, especially those with aphasia.