Incidence, prescription patterns and risk factors of antipsychotic initiation in elderly stroke survivors.

OBJECTIVES: Epidemiological data regarding antipsychotic initiation in elderly patients with stroke are limited. We aimed to investigate the incidence, prescription patterns and determinants of antipsychotic initiation in elderly patients with stroke. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study to identify patients aged above 65 years who had been admitted for stroke from the National Health Insurance Database (NHID). The index date was defined as the discharge date. The incidence and prescription pattern of antipsychotics were estimated using the NHID. To evaluate the determinants of antipsychotic initiation, the cohort identified from the NHID was linked to the Multicenter Stroke Registry (MSR). Demographics, comorbidities and concomitant medications were obtained from the NHID. Information including smoking status, body mass index, stroke severity and disability was retrieved by linking to the MSR. The outcome was antipsychotic initiation after the index date. Hazard ratios for antipsychotic initiation were estimated using the multivariable Cox model. RESULTS: In terms of prognosis, the first 2 months after a stroke was the highest-risk period for antipsychotic use. A high burden of coexisting diseases carried an increased risk of antipsychotic use; in particular, chronic kidney disease (CKD) had the highest adjusted hazard ratio (aHR = 1.73; 95% CI 1.29-2.31) as compared with other risk factors. Furthermore, stroke severity and disability were significant risk factors for antipsychotic initiation. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicated that elderly stroke patients with chronic medical conditions, particularly CKD, and a higher stroke severity and disability were at greater risk of psychiatric disorders during the first 2 months after a stroke. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NA.

Real-World Experience with Idarucizumab to Reverse Anticoagulant Effect in Dabigatran-Treated Patients: Report of 11 Cases from Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to observe the effectiveness and safety of idarucizumab in dabigatran-treated patients with severe bleeding or requiring surgery in Taiwan. METHODS AND RESULTS: In Taiwan, 11 dabigatran-treated patients developed severe bleeding, fracture that needed surgery, and acute ischemic stroke requiring thrombolysis. These patients were treated with idarucizumab and obtained adequate hemostasis. Our experiences reconfirmed the efficacy and safety of idarucizumab in Asian patients. CONCLUSIONS: Idarucizumab improves safety in dabigatran-treated patients. Continued education about the availability and appropriate use of idarucizumab is necessary in Asia.

Renal Function Estimates and Dosing of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Stroke Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: An Observational Study.

PURPOSE: Appropriate dosing of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) requires consideration of renal function. Discordance between commonly used estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and creatinine clearance (CrCl) might affect the dosing appropriateness in stroke patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to explore the effect of renal function estimates on the dosing patterns in a real-world setting. METHODS: Using a hospital-based stroke registry, we identified consecutive patients between 2014 and 2017 who were hospitalized for acute stroke, had AF, and started DOACs within 90 days after stroke. We compared the difference between eGFR and CrCl in assessing appropriateness of dosage. Effectiveness and safety outcomes were verified by chart review, and event rates were presented as per 100 person-years. RESULTS: Of the156 patients with mean age 74±11 years, 72 (46%) were prescribed dabigatran and 84 (54%) rivaroxaban. Substituting eGFR for CrCl would have 55% (37/67) of patients with CrCl less than 50 mL/min and 89% (8/9) of patients with CrCl less than 30 mL/min not correctly classified, and potentially lead to overdosing. The misclassification would cause underdosing in 6% (5/89) of patients with CrCl ≥50 mL/min and 1% (1/147) of patients with CrCl ≥30 mL/min. In reality, the substitution resulted in reduction of overdosing from 10% to 4% for dabigatran and from 2% to 1% for rivaroxaban; underdosing increased from 17% to 26% for rivaroxaban. After median follow-up of 17 months, 33 patients developed outcomes including 21 major bleedings. The event rate was 6.9% per year (95% CI, 4.1%-11.4%) for effectiveness, and 9.6% per year (95% CI, 6.3%-14.8%) for safety. CONCLUSION: Although substituting eGFR for CrCl carries potential risks of DOAC overdosing in patients with AF, the effect might be offset by clinicians' predilection for lower dosage in this stroke cohort.

Associations of estradiol levels and genetic polymorphisms of inflammatory genes with the risk of ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND: Estrogen plays an important role as an anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective agent in ischemic stroke. In this study, we analyzed the effect of a polygenic risk score (PRS) constructed using inflammatory genes and estradiol levels on the risk of ischemic stroke. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted with 624 ischemic stroke patients and 624 age- and gender-matched controls. The PRS estimated the polygenic contribution of inflammatory genes from ischemic stroke susceptibility loci. Estradiol levels were measured using a radioimmunoassay. High and low estradiol levels were defined according to the log-transformed median estradiol levels in female and male controls. RESULTS: Subjects in the fourth quartile of the PRS had a significant 1.57-fold risk of ischemic stroke (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12 ~ 2.19), after adjusting for covariates compared to individuals in the lowest quartile. Compared to individuals with high estradiol levels and a low PRS as the reference group, those exposed to low estradiol levels and a high PRS had an increased risk of ischemic stroke (odds ratio, 3.35; 95% CI, 1.79 ~ 6.28). Similar results were also observed in males when the analysis was stratified by gender. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the PRS can be useful in evaluating a high risk of ischemic stroke among patients, especially those exposed to low estradiol levels.

Validation of a novel claims-based stroke severity index in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Stroke severity is an important outcome predictor for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) but is typically unavailable in administrative claims data. We validated a claims-based stroke severity index (SSI) in patients with ICH in Taiwan. METHODS: Consecutive ICH patients from hospital-based stroke registries were linked with a nationwide claims database. Stroke severity, assessed using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and functional outcomes, assessed using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), were obtained from the registries. The SSI was calculated based on billing codes in each patient's claims. We assessed two types of criterion-related validity (concurrent validity and predictive validity) by correlating the SSI with the NIHSS and the mRS. Logistic regression models with or without stroke severity as a continuous covariate were fitted to predict mortality at 3, 6, and 12 months. RESULTS: The concurrent validity of the SSI was established by its significant correlation with the admission NIHSS (r = 0.731; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.705-0.755), and the predictive validity was verified by its significant correlations with the 3-month (r = 0.696; 95% CI, 0.665-0.724), 6-month (r = 0.685; 95% CI, 0.653-0.715) and 1-year (r = 0.664; 95% CI, 0.622-0.702) mRS. Mortality models with NIHSS had the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, followed by models with SSI and models without any marker of stroke severity. CONCLUSIONS: The SSI appears to be a valid proxy for the NIHSS and an effective adjustment for stroke severity in studies of ICH outcome with administrative claims data.

Cholesterol Levels Are Associated with 30-day Mortality from Ischemic Stroke in Dialysis Patients.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the impact of serum cholesterol levels on 30-day mortality after ischemic stroke in dialysis patients. METHODS: From the Taiwan Stroke Registry data, we identified 46,770 ischemic stroke cases, including 1101 dialysis patients and 45,669 nondialysis patients from 2006 to 2013. RESULTS: Overall, the 30-day mortality was 1.46-fold greater in the dialysis group than in the nondialysis group (1.75 versus 1.20 per 1000 person-days). The mortality rates were 1.64, .62, 2.82, and 2.23 per 1000 person-days in dialysis patients with serum total cholesterol levels of <120 mg/dL, 120-159 mg/dL, 160-199 mg/dL, and ≥200 mg/dL, respectively. Compared to dialysis patients with serum total cholesterol levels of 120-159 mg/dL, the corresponding adjusted hazard ratios of mortality were 4.20 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01-17.4), 8.06 (95% CI = 2.02-32.2), and 6.89 (95% CI = 1.59-29.8) for those with cholesterol levels of <120 mg/dL, 160-199 mg/dL, and ≥200 mg/dL, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Dialysis patients with serum total cholesterol levels of ≥160 mg/dL or <120 mg/dL on admission are at an elevated hazard of 30-day mortality after ischemic stroke.

Safety and Effectiveness of Intravenous Thrombolysis for Acute Ischemic Stroke Outside the Coverage of National Health Insurance in Taiwan.

PURPOSE: Only a small percentage of ischemic stroke patients were treated with intravenous thrombolysis in Taiwan, partly because of the narrow reimbursement criteria of the National Health Insurance (NHI). We aimed to assess the safety and effectiveness of intravenous thrombolysis not covered by the NHI. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of register data from four hospitals. All patients who received intravenous tissue plasminogen activator and fulfilled the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) thrombolysis guidelines between January 2007 and June 2012 were distinguished into two groups: those in accordance (reimbursement group) and those not in accordance (non-reimbursement group) with the NHI reimbursement criteria. Primary outcome was symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH). Secondary outcomes were dramatic improvement in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at discharge, good functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale ≤2) at discharge, and all-cause in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: In 569 guideline-eligible patients, 177 (31%) were treated without reimbursement. The reasons for exclusion from reimbursement included age >80 (n=42), baseline NIHSS less than 6 (n=29), baseline NIHSS >25 (n=15), thrombolysis beyond 3 hours (n=49), prior stroke with diabetes (n=28), use of oral anticoagulant (n=2), and more than one contraindication (n=12). Overall, we observed no differences between the reimbursement and non-reimbursement groups in the rate of SICH (7% versus 6%), dramatic improvement (36% versus 36%), good functional outcome (39% versus 37%), and in-hospital mortality (8% versus 6%) Conclusion: In stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis according to the AHA/ASA guidelines, the outcomes were comparable between the reimbursement and non-reimbursement groups.

Validity of a stroke severity index for administrative claims data research: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Ascertaining stroke severity in claims data-based studies is difficult because clinical information is unavailable. We assessed the predictive validity of a claims-based stroke severity index (SSI) and determined whether it improves case-mix adjustment. METHODS: We analyzed patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) from hospital-based stroke registries linked with a nationwide claims database. We estimated the SSI according to patient claims data. Actual stroke severity measured with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and functional outcomes measured with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) were retrieved from stroke registries. Predictive validity was tested by correlating SSI with mRS. Logistic regression models were used to predict mortality. RESULTS: The SSI correlated with mRS at 3 months (Spearman rho = 0.578; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 0.556-0.600), 6 months (rho = 0.551; 95 % CI, 0.528-0.574), and 1 year (rho = 0.532; 95 % CI 0.504-0.560). Mortality models with the SSI demonstrated superior discrimination to those without. The AUCs of models including the SSI and models with the NIHSS did not differ significantly. CONCLUSIONS: The SSI correlated with functional outcomes after AIS and improved the case-mix adjustment of mortality models. It can act as a valid proxy for stroke severity in claims data-based studies.

Does renal dysfunction modify the effect of intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke within 4.5 hours of onset? A multicenter observational study.

BACKGROUND: About one third of stroke patients have renal dysfunction. Effect of renal dysfunction on outcome of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) has not been determined in Asia using patients without IVT as comparators. The aim of this study was to examine the interaction between renal dysfunction and IVT on the outcomes in AIS patients admitted within 4.5 hours of onset in a multicenter stroke registry of Taiwan. METHODS: We identified all consecutive AIS patients admitted within 4.5 hours of onset between 2007 and 2013. Renal dysfunction was defined by an estimated glomerular filtration rate less than 60 mL/minute/1.73 m(2) on initial admission. Patients older than 80 years of age and a National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score less than 4 or greater than 25 were excluded. The primary outcome was a modified Rankin Scale score 3-6 at 3 months. We determined the effect of IVT and renal dysfunction on outcome in a multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Of the 929 patients analyzed, 39% had renal dysfunction, and 51% received IVT. Primary outcomes occurred in 45% versus 41% of patients with and without renal dysfunction, respectively, (P = .197). In a multivariate analysis, the odds ratios (95% confidence interval; P value) of IVT and renal dysfunction for primary outcome were .70 (.51-.96; P = .029) and .97 (.71-1.33; P = .865), respectively. No significant interaction was noted between IVT and renal dysfunction (P = .218). CONCLUSIONS: Renal dysfunction did not modify the effect of IVT for AIS and should not be a reason for withholding treatment from otherwise-eligible patients.

Insomnia subtypes and the subsequent risks of stroke: report from a nationally representative cohort.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The studies assessing the impact of insomnia on stroke are still lacking. We aim to investigate insomnia in relation to subsequent stroke during the 4-year follow-up. METHODS: Data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database were used. Enrollees with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis code for insomnia were compared with randomly selected, age- and sex-matched noninsomnia enrollees with subsequent hospitalization for stroke during the 4-year follow-up. All enrollees, insomniacs and noninsomniacs, did not have previous diagnosis of stroke, sleep apnea, and insomnia. Individuals with insomnia were further categorized into different subgroups based on their insomnia patterns to explore whether the risk of stroke varies by subtype. The risk of outcomes was assessed with Kaplan-Meier curves and the impact of insomnia was estimated using Poisson regression analysis and Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: The study included 21,438 (mean age, 52±16 years) insomniacs and 64,314 matched noninsomniacs (mean age, 51±16 years). Compared with noninsomniacs, insomniacs had 54% higher risk of developing stroke (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.38-1.72). When breaking down into insomnia subgroups, the persistent insomniacs had a higher 3-year cumulative incidence rate of stroke than those in the remission group (P=0.024). The insomniacs-to-noninsomniacs incidence rate ratio for stroke was highest among those aged 18 to 34 years (incidence rate ratio, 8.06). CONCLUSIONS: Insomnia predisposes individuals to increased risk of stroke and this association is profound among young adults. Our results underscore the clinical importance of identifying and treating insomnia. A novel behavioral intervention targeting insomnia that may prevent stroke should be explored.

Different doses of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator for acute stroke in Chinese patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The relationship between the dose of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (r-tPA) and its safety/efficacy for ischemic stroke has not been well evaluated in the East Asian population. We assessed the safety/efficacy of different doses of r-tPA for acute ischemic stroke in Chinese patients. METHODS: A total of 1004 eligible patients were classified according to the dose of r-tPA received for managing acute ischemic stroke: 0.9 mg/kg (n=422), 0.8 mg/kg (n=202), 0.7 mg/kg (n=199), and 0.6 mg/kg (n=181). The safety outcome was symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage and death within 3 months. The efficacy outcome was good functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale ≤1) at 3 months. RESULTS: There was a significant trend for symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage with age (P=0.002). With multivariate logistic regression analysis, a dose of 0.9 mg/kg was a predictor of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (P=0.0109), and a dose ≤0.65 mg/kg was a predictor of good functional outcome (P=0.0369). In patients aged 71 to 80 years, there was a significant trend of increasing symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (P=0.0130) and less good functional outcome (P=0.0179) with increasing doses of r-tPA. There was also a trend of increasing mortality (P=0.0971) at 3 months in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: These results did not support the dose of 0.9 mg/kg of r-tPA being optimal for all patients in the East Asian population. In elderly patients (71-80 years), a lower dose of 0.6 mg/kg is associated with a better outcome. Confirmation of the results through randomized trial is required.

Is renal dysfunction associated with adverse stroke outcome after thrombolytic therapy?

BACKGROUND: Renal dysfunction is a prevalent comorbidity in acute stroke patients requiring thrombolytic therapy. Reports studying the relationship between renal dysfunction and risk of postthrombolytic symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) are contradictory. We aimed to compare the safety and effectiveness of thrombolytic therapy in acute stroke patients with and without renal dysfunction. METHODS: Based on the prospective stroke registries of 4 hospitals in Taiwan from 2007-2012, we identified acute stroke patients who received thrombolytic therapy. Clinically significant renal dysfunction was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 ml/min/1.73 m(2). Renal dysfunction was further defined as stage 3 (30 ≤ eGFR < 60 ml/min/ 1.73 m(2)), stage 4 (15 ≤ eGFR < 30 ml/min/1.73 m(2)) and stage 5 (<15 ml/min/1.73 m(2)). The rates of SICH and poor outcome (defined as modified Rankin scale score ≥4) at 3 months after thrombolytic therapy were compared in patients with and without renal dysfunction. SICH was determined according to the definition of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the effect of renal dysfunction on outcome. Patients with different stages of renal dysfunction were further analyzed to determine the effect of disease severity on outcome. RESULTS: Of the 657 stroke patients with thrombolysis, 239 (36%) had renal dysfunction, including 212 patients in stage 3, 17 patients in stage 4 and 10 patients in stage 5 of renal dysfunction. Patients with renal dysfunction were older and more likely to have hypertension, ischemic heart disease, congestive heart failure and prior antiplatelet use than those without. There were no differences in SICH (8 vs. 7%, p = 0.580) and poor outcome (41 vs. 39%, p = 0.758) between patients with and without renal dysfunction. After multivariable analysis, renal dysfunction was not associated with SICH (odds ratio: 1.03, 95% confidence interval: 0.55-1.92) and poor outcome. Pretreatment stroke severity was the only factor significantly associated with both SICH and poor outcome at 3 months. When stratifying renal dysfunction into stage 3 and stage ≥4, there was no significant increase in SICH as the severity of renal dysfunction increased after multivariable adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Renal dysfunction did not increase the risk of SICH and poor outcome at 3 months after stroke thrombolysis. Further study comparing directly the risk and benefit of thrombolytic therapy versus no therapy in stroke patients with renal dysfunction is warranted.

Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project classification improves prediction of post-thrombolysis symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: The Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project (OCSP) classification is a simple stroke classification system with value in predicting clinical outcomes. We investigated whether and how the addition of OCSP classification to the Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke (SITS) symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) risk score improved the predictive performance. METHODS: We constructed an extended risk score by adding an OCSP component, which assigns 3 points for total anterior circulation infarcts, 0 point for partial anterior circulation infarcts or lacunar infarcts. Patients with posterior circulation infarcts were assigned an extended risk score of zero. We analyzed prospectively collected data from 4 hospitals to compare the predictive performance between the original and the extended scores, using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and net reclassification improvement (NRI). RESULTS: In a total of 548 patients, the rates of SICH were 7.3% per the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS) definition, 5.3% per the European-Australasian Cooperative Acute Stroke Study (ECASS) II, and 3.5% per the SITS-Monitoring Study (SITS-MOST). Both scores effectively predicted SICH across all three definitions. The extended score had a higher AUC for SICH per NINDS (0.704 versus 0.624, P = 0.015) and per ECASS II (0.703 versus 0.612, P = 0.016) compared with the SITS SICH risk score. NRI for the extended risk score was 22.3% (P = 0.011) for SICH per NINDS, 21.2% (P = 0.018) per ECASS II, and 24.5% (P = 0.024) per SITS-MOST. CONCLUSIONS: Incorporation of the OCSP classification into the SITS SICH risk score improves risk prediction for post-thrombolysis SICH.

Revised iScore to predict outcomes after acute ischemic stroke.

The iScore is a validated tool to predict mortality and functional outcome after acute ischemic stroke. It incorporates stroke subtype according to the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) classification as one of its factors. However, the TOAST stroke subtype may not be easily determined without extensive investigations. We aimed to test if the stroke subtype can be substituted by the Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project (OCSP) classification. We applied the iScore and the revised iScore, in which the TOAST subtype was replaced by the OCSP classification, to patients admitted to a single hospital for acute ischemic stroke. Outcome measures included poor functional status (modified Rankin scale score, 3-6) at discharge and 3 months. The performance between the iScore and the revised iScore was assessed by determining the discrimination and calibration of the scores. We studied 3196 patients at the acute stage, and among them 2349 patients were available for the 3-month assessment. The discrimination of the revised iScore was comparable with the iScore for poor outcome at discharge (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, .767 versus .775; P=.06) and at 3-month (.801 versus .810; P=.06). The correlation between the observed and the expected outcomes was high for both the iScore (Pearson correlation coefficient, .993 at discharge and .995 at 3 months; both P<.0001) and the revised iScore (.985 and .993, respectively; both P<.0001). The revised iScore reliably predicts clinical outcomes at discharge and 3 months for patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Comparison of risk-scoring systems in predicting symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage after intravenous thrombolysis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Various risk score models have been developed to predict symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) after intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke. In this study, we aimed to determine the prediction performance of these risk scores in a Taiwanese population METHODS: Prospectively collected data from 4 hospitals were used to calculate probability of SICH with the scores developed by Cucchiara et al, the Hemorrhage After Thrombolysis (HAT) score, the Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke-SICH risk score, the Glucose Race Age Sex Pressure Stroke Severity score, and the Stroke Prognostication using Age and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale-100 index. We used logistic regression to evaluate the effectiveness of each risk model in predicting SICH and the c statistic to assess performance. RESULTS: A total of 548 patients were included. The rates of SICH were 7.3% by the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke definition, 5.3% by the European-Australasian Cooperative Acute Stroke Study II definition, and 3.5% by the Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke-Monitoring Study definition. The Cucchiara score, the HAT score, and the Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke-SICH risk score were significant predictors of SICH for all 3 definitions, whereas the Glucose Race Age Sex Pressure Stroke Severity score and the Stroke Prognostication using Age and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale-100 index predicted well only for 1 or 2 definitions of SICH. The c statistic was highest for the HAT score (range, 0.69-0.73) across the definitions of SICH. CONCLUSIONS: The Cucchiara score, the HAT score, and the Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke-SICH risk score predicted SICH reasonably well regardless of which SICH definition was used. However, only the HAT score had an acceptable discriminatory ability.

Indwelling urinary catheterization after acute stroke.

AIMS: Prolonged indwelling urinary catheterization (IUC) increases risk of urinary tract infection. We aimed to investigate the incidence and risk factors associated with IUC following acute stroke, and its impact on stroke outcome. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled stroke patients hospitalized within 10 days after onset from August 2006 to December 2008. Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the cumulative incidence of IUC, and Cox regression analysis to evaluate the independent predictors. The impact of IUC on poor outcome (modified Rankin Scale >2 or dead) at 3 months was studied by logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 2,803 patients, 697 (25%) received indwelling urinary catheters. Catheterization was carried out mostly within 1-2 days of admission (86%), with estimated cumulative incidence of 13% (95% confidence interval, 11-14%) at 2 days in patients with ischemic stroke (IS), and 57% (53-61%) in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). In IS patients, IUC was significantly associated with increasing age, baseline stroke severity, and neurological deterioration. In ICH patients, stroke severity on admission was the only significant predictor after adjustment. We assessed the 3-month outcome in 2,388 patients, after excluding 177 (6%) dead at discharge, 164 (6%) without providing informed consent, and 74 (3%) lost to follow-up. IUC during acute hospitalization was significantly associated with unfavorable 3-month outcome after adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: IUC was common in acute stroke care and associated with unfavorable outcome at 3 months. Whether judicious use of urinary catheters in acute stroke patients would improve outcomes may warrant further studies.

Association between genetic variant on chromosome 12p13 and stroke survival and recurrence: a one year prospective study in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: The association between ischemic stroke and 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on chromosome 12p13, rs12425791 and rs11833579 appears inconsistent across different samples. These SNPs are close to the ninjurin2 gene which may alter the risk of stroke by affecting brain response to ischemic injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between these two SNPs and ischemic stroke risk, as well as prognostic outcomes in a Taiwanese sample. METHODS: We examined the relations of these two SNPs to the odds of new-onset ischemic stroke, ischemic stroke subtypes, and to the one year risk of stroke-related death or recurrent stroke following initial stroke in a case-control study. A total of 765 consecutive patients who had first-ever ischemic stroke were compared to 977 stroke-free, age-matched controls. SNPs were genotyped by Taqman fluorescent allelic discrimination assay. The association between ischemic stroke and SNPs were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess the effect of individual SNPs on stroke-related mortality or recurrent stroke. RESULTS: There was no significant association between SNP rs12425791 and rs11833579 and ischemic stroke after multiple testing corrections. However, the marginal significant association was observed between SNP rs12425791 and large artery atherosclerosis under recessive model (OR, 2.30; 95%CI, 1.22-4.34; q-value = 0.062). Among the 765 ischemic stroke patients, 59 died or developed a recurrent stroke. After adjustment for age, sex, vascular risk factors and baseline stroke severity, Cox proportional hazard analysis indicated that the hazard ratios were 2.76 (95%CI, 1.34-5.68; q-value, 0.02) and 2.15 (95%CI, 1.15-4.02; q-value, 0.03) for individuals with homozygous variant allele of rs12425791 and rs11833579, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This is a precedent study that found genetic variants of rs12425791 and rs11833579 on chromosome 12p13 are independent predictors of stroke-related mortality or stroke recurrence in patients with incident ischemic stroke in Taiwan. Further study is needed to explore the details of the physiological function and the molecular mechanisms underlying the association of this genetic locus with ischemic stroke.

[Guideline of neuropathic pain treatment and dilemma from neurological point of view].

Neuropathic pain is a complicated symptomatic disease as migraine in recent years. Not because the pain character differed from the nociceptive inflammatory symptoms but because of its complexity of mechanisms. Though peripheral sensitization, ectopic discharge, central sensitization, central re-organization and loss of inhibition play part of roles in mechanisms, however, based on this mechanistic treatment, the outcome still disappointed physicians and patients, exampled as central post-stroke central pain (CPSP). The pain reduction is far less than the expectation from patients and physician's under-treatment frequently occur due to the fear of adverse effects or off-label use of these anti-neuropathic pain drugs. Therefore, a multidisciplinary procedure including non-pharmacological management, rehabilitation program, careful explanation, stepwise pain reduction, daily diary record, and tailored individual planning for medications are helpful in treating this kind of sufferers. Pharmacological treatment is the mainstream in post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP), central post-stroke pain (CPSP), trigeminal neuralgia (TN), complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), cancer pain, failed back syndrome etc, while polypharmacy is still the major prescriptions facing such kind of miserable patients. The tricyclic antidepressants (TCA), gamma- aminobutyric acid (GABA), voltage-dependent calcium channel blockers, selective non-epinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), opioid or morphine etc, are still evidence-based medicines (EBM) but with different outcome for individuals. Acupuncture is to some extend effective in Taiwanese people with perceived evidence or placebo. The Taiwan guidance for total pain management and review of EBM in treating neuropathic pain from neurological point of view will be introduced in this manuscript.