The increase in bleeding associ- atedwith a risk factor will vary with:(1) severity of the risk factor (eg, extent of trauma or recent surgery) and (2) temporal relationships (eg, interval from surgery or a previous bleeding episode; believed to decrease markedly after approximately 2 wk). Risk factorsfor bleeding at critical sites (eg, intracranial, intraocular) or noncompressible sites are stronger contraindications for thrombolytic therapy. Depending on the nature, severity, temporality, and numberofrelative contraindications,patientsmay beconsidered highriskof bleeding with thrombolytic therapy or non-high risk for thrombolytic therapy. Patients with no risk factors, 1-2 minor risk factors (eg, female and black race) are usually considered low risk of bleeding with thrombolytic therapy. Among 32,000 Medicare patients ($65 y) with myocardial infrac- tion who were treated with thrombolytic therapy, the following factors were independently associated with intracranial haemorrhage: age $75 y (OR, 1.6); black (OR, 1.6); female (OR, 1.4); previous stroke (OR, 1.5); systolic BP $160 mm Hg (OR, 1.8); women #65 kg or men # 80 kg (OR, 1.5); The rate of intracranial hemorrhage increased from 0.7% with 0 or 1 of these risk factors, to 4.1% with $5 risk factors. 