Mechanical Thrombectomy Global Access For Stroke (MT-GLASS): A Mission Thrombectomy (MT-2020 Plus) Study.

BACKGROUND: Despite the well-established potent benefit of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke, access to MT has not been studied globally. We conducted a worldwide survey of countries on 6 continents to define MT access (MTA), the disparities in MTA, and its determinants on a global scale. METHODS: Our survey was conducted in 75 countries through the Mission Thrombectomy 2020+ global network between November 22, 2020, and February 28, 2021. The primary end points were the current annual MTA, MT operator availability, and MT center availability. MTA was defined as the estimated proportion of patients with LVO receiving MT in a given region annually. The availability metrics were defined as ([current MT operators×50/current annual number of estimated thrombectomy-eligible LVOs]×100 = MT operator availability) and ([current MT centers×150/current annual number of estimated thrombectomy-eligible LVOs]×100= MT center availability). The metrics used optimal MT volume per operator as 50 and an optimal MT volume per center as 150. Multivariable-adjusted generalized linear models were used to evaluate factors associated with MTA. RESULTS: We received 887 responses from 67 countries. The median global MTA was 2.79% (interquartile range, 0.70-11.74). MTA was <1.0% for 18 (27%) countries and 0 for 7 (10%) countries. There was a 460-fold disparity between the highest and lowest nonzero MTA regions and low-income countries had 88% lower MTA compared with high-income countries. The global MT operator availability was 16.5% of optimal and the MT center availability was 20.8% of optimal. On multivariable regression, country income level (low or lower-middle versus high: odds ratio, 0.08 [95% CI, 0.04-0.12]), MT operator availability (odds ratio, 3.35 [95% CI, 2.07-5.42]), MT center availability (odds ratio, 2.86 [95% CI, 1.84-4.48]), and presence of prehospital acute stroke bypass protocol (odds ratio, 4.00 [95% CI, 1.70-9.42]) were significantly associated with increased odds of MTA. CONCLUSIONS: Access to MT on a global level is extremely low, with enormous disparities between countries by income level. The significant determinants of MT access are the country's per capita gross national income, prehospital LVO triage policy, and MT operator and center availability.

Implementation of low-intensity thrombolysis monitoring care in routine practice: process evaluation of the Optimal Post rtPA-IV Monitoring in Acute Ischemic Stroke (OPTIMISTmain) study in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: The ongoing OPTIMISTmain study, an international, multicenter, stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial, aims to determine effectiveness and safety of low-intensity versus standard monitoring in thrombolysis-treated patients with mild-to-moderate acute ischemic stroke (AIS). An embedded process evaluation explored integration and impact of the intervention on care processes at participating US sites. METHODS: A mixed-methods approach with quantitative and qualitative data were collected between September 2021 and November 2022. Implementer surveys were undertaken at pre- and post-intervention phases to understand the perceptions of low-intensity monitoring strategy. A sample of stroke care nurses were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews at an early stage of post-intervention. Qualitative data were analyzed deductively using the normalization process theory; quantitative data were tabulated. RESULTS: Interviews with 21 nurses at 8 hospitals have shown low-intensity monitoring was well accepted, as there were less time constraints and reduced workload for each patient. There were initial safety concerns over missing deteriorating patients and difficulties in changing established routines. Proper training, education, and communication, and changing the habits and culture of care, were key elements to successfully adopting the new monitoring care into routine practice. Similar results were found in the post-intervention survey (42 nurses from 13 hospitals). Nurses reported time being freed up to provide patient education (56%), daily living care (50%), early mobilization (26%), mood/cognition assessment (44%), and other aspects (i.e. communication, family support). CONCLUSIONS: Low-intensity monitoring for patients with mild-to-moderate acute ischemic stroke, facilitated by appropriate education and organizational support, appears feasible and acceptable at US hospitals.

Successful Thrombectomy for Large Vessel Occlusion after Emergent Transoceanic Patient Transport: An International Hub and Spoke Collaboration.

Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is the standard of care for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion, but the capacity to deliver this treatment can be limited in less populous areas and island territories. Here, we describe the case of a man who developed right MCA syndrome while in Bermuda who was successfully diagnosed, transported over 800 miles to the East Coast of the USA, and treated with MT within 24 h. This case underscores the benefits of having organized systems of care and demonstrates the feasibility of urgent transoceanic patient transportation for stroke requiring MT.

The main Optimal Post rTpa-Iv Monitoring in Ischemic Stroke Trial (OPTIMISTmain): protocol for a pragmatic, stepped wedge, cluster randomized controlled trial.

Introduction Careful monitoring of patients who receive intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is resource-intensive, and potentially less relevant in those with mild degrees of neurological impairment who are at low-risk of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) and other complications. \ Methods OPTIMISTmain is an international, multicenter, prospective, stepped wedge, cluster randomized, blinded outcome assessed trial aims to determine whether a less-intensity monitoring protocol is at least as effective, safe and efficient as standard post-IVT monitoring in patients with mild deficits post-AIS. Clinically-stable adult patients with mild AIS (defined by a NIHSS <10) who do not require intensive care within 2 hours post-IVT are recruited at hospitals in Australia, Chile, China, Malaysia, Mexico, UK, US and Vietnam. An average of 15 patients recruited per period (overall 60 patient participants) at 120 sites for a total of 7200 IVT-treated AIS patients will provide 90% power (one-sided α 0.025). The initiation of eligible hospitals is based on a rolling process whenever ready, stratified by country. Hospitals are randomly allocated using permuted blocks into 3 sequences of implementation, stratified by country and the projected number of patients to be recruited over 12 months. These sequences have four periods that dictate the order in which they are to switch from control (usual care) to intervention (implementation of low intensity monitoring protocol) to different clusters of patients in a stepped manner. Compared to standard monitoring, the low-intensity monitoring protocol includes assessments of neurological and vital signs every 15 minutes for 2 hours, 2 hourly (versus every 30 minutes) for 8 hours, and 4 hourly (versus every 1 hour) until 24 hours, post-IVT. The primary outcome measure is functional recovery, defined by the modified Rankin scale (mRS) at 90 days, a seven-point ordinal scale (0 [no residual symptom] to 6 [death]). Secondary outcomes include death or dependency, length of hospital stay, and health-related quality of life, sICH and serious adverse events. Conclusion OPTIMISTmain will provide Level I evidence for the safety and effectiveness of a low-intensity post-IVT monitoring protocol in patients with mild severity of AIS.

Case Series of Thrombosis With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome After COVID-19 Vaccination-United States, December 2020 to August 2021.

BACKGROUND: Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) is a potentially life-threatening condition associated with adenoviral-vectored COVID-19 vaccination. It presents similarly to spontaneous heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Twelve cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis after vaccination with the Ad26.COV2.S COVID-19 vaccine (Janssen/Johnson & Johnson) have previously been described. OBJECTIVE: To describe surveillance data and reporting rates of all reported TTS cases after COVID-19 vaccination in the United States. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: United States. PATIENTS: Case patients receiving a COVID-19 vaccine from 14 December 2020 through 31 August 2021 with thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (excluding isolated ischemic stroke or myocardial infarction) reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. If thrombosis was only in an extremity vein or pulmonary embolism, a positive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antiplatelet factor 4 antibodies or functional heparin-induced thrombocytopenia platelet test result was required. MEASUREMENTS: Reporting rates (cases per million vaccine doses) and descriptive epidemiology. RESULTS: A total of 57 TTS cases were confirmed after vaccination with Ad26.COV2.S (n = 54) or a messenger RNA (mRNA)-based COVID-19 vaccine (n = 3). Reporting rates for TTS were 3.83 per million vaccine doses (Ad26.COV2.S) and 0.00855 per million vaccine doses (mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines). The median age of patients with TTS after Ad26.COV2.S vaccination was 44.5 years (range, 18 to 70 years), and 69% of patients were women. Of the TTS cases after mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination, 2 occurred in men older than 50 years and 1 in a woman aged 50 to 59 years. All cases after Ad26.COV2.S vaccination involved hospitalization, including 36 (67%) with intensive care unit admission. Outcomes of hospitalizations after Ad26.COV2.S vaccination included death (15%), discharge to postacute care (17%), and discharge home (68%). LIMITATIONS: Underreporting and incomplete case follow-up. CONCLUSION: Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome is a rare but serious adverse event associated with Ad26.COV2.S vaccination. The different demographic characteristics of the 3 cases reported after mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines and the much lower reporting rate suggest that these cases represent a background rate. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sustainability of Intravenous Alteplase Administration via Telephone-Based Consult: Data from a US Health System.

OBJECTIVES: Telephone-based consults using remote imaging review and standardization of evaluation but without visualizing the patient are an alternative to video-telestroke consults but are less well-studied. We aim to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of telephone-based acute consults in which IV tPA was administered over nearly a decade within one health system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared between a community hospital (spoke; uses telephone-based consults) and the academic comprehensive stroke center (hub; uses oversight of on-site neurology trainees) from 2008-2017. In both institutions acute therapy decisions are made by the same stroke neurologists. RESULTS: 2518 acute ischemic stroke consults were evaluated at hub and 2049 at spoke. Of these, 191 patients received IV tPA at hub and 184 at spoke. Patients at hub were younger (median (IQR): 61 (51-74) vs 69 (56-81) years, p = 0.0021) but admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was similar. There were no differences between door-to-needle times (69 (56-101) vs 69 (51-92) minutes, p = 0.13), last known well-to-tPA times (157 (113-202) vs 144 (110-175) minutes, p = 0.053), and rates of overall intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) after tPA (n = 23 (13.5%) vs 31 (17.0%), p = 0.35). In multivariable analyses, hospital was not an independent predictor of ICH after tPA. CONCLUSIONS: In a large dataset over nearly a decade, assessment for IV tPA administration using telephone assessment along with imaging review and emergency department standardization resulted in similar safety and outcomes as in the presence of on-site stroke/neurology expertise. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Exploring the Collateral Damage of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Stroke Care: A Statewide Analysis.

[Figure: see text].

US Case Reports of Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis With Thrombocytopenia After Ad26.COV2.S Vaccination, March 2 to April 21, 2021.

Importance: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) with thrombocytopenia, a rare and serious condition, has been described in Europe following receipt of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (Oxford/AstraZeneca), which uses a chimpanzee adenoviral vector. A mechanism similar to autoimmune heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) has been proposed. In the US, the Ad26.COV2.S COVID-19 vaccine (Janssen/Johnson & Johnson), which uses a human adenoviral vector, received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) on February 27, 2021. By April 12, 2021, approximately 7 million Ad26.COV2.S vaccine doses had been given in the US, and 6 cases of CVST with thrombocytopenia had been identified among the recipients, resulting in a temporary national pause in vaccination with this product on April 13, 2021. Objective: To describe reports of CVST with thrombocytopenia following Ad26.COV2.S vaccine receipt. Design, Setting, and Participants: Case series of 12 US patients with CVST and thrombocytopenia following use of Ad26.COV2.S vaccine under EUA reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) from March 2 to April 21, 2021 (with follow-up reported through April 21, 2021). Exposures: Receipt of Ad26.COV2.S vaccine. Main Outcomes and Measures: Clinical course, imaging, laboratory tests, and outcomes after CVST diagnosis obtained from VAERS reports, medical record review, and discussion with clinicians. Results: Patients' ages ranged from 18 to younger than 60 years; all were White women, reported from 11 states. Seven patients had at least 1 CVST risk factor, including obesity (n = 6), hypothyroidism (n = 1), and oral contraceptive use (n = 1); none had documented prior heparin exposure. Time from Ad26.COV2.S vaccination to symptom onset ranged from 6 to 15 days. Eleven patients initially presented with headache; 1 patient initially presented with back pain and later developed headache. Of the 12 patients with CVST, 7 also had intracerebral hemorrhage; 8 had non-CVST thromboses. After diagnosis of CVST, 6 patients initially received heparin treatment. Platelet nadir ranged from 9 ×103/µL to 127 ×103/µL. All 11 patients tested for the heparin-platelet factor 4 HIT antibody by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) screening had positive results. All patients were hospitalized (10 in an intensive care unit [ICU]). As of April 21, 2021, outcomes were death (n = 3), continued ICU care (n = 3), continued non-ICU hospitalization (n = 2), and discharged home (n = 4). Conclusions and Relevance: The initial 12 US cases of CVST with thrombocytopenia after Ad26.COV2.S vaccination represent serious events. This case series may inform clinical guidance as Ad26.COV2.S vaccination resumes in the US as well as investigations into the potential relationship between Ad26.COV2.S vaccine and CVST with thrombocytopenia.

Safety and Feasibility of a Neuroscience Critical Care Program to Mobilize Patients With Primary Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the impact of a progressive mobility program on patients admitted to a neurocritical critical care unit (NCCU) with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The early mobilization of critically ill patients with spontaneous ICH is a challenge owing to the potential for neurologic deterioration and hemodynamic lability in the acute phase of injury. Patients admitted to the intensive care unit have been excluded from randomized trials of early mobilization after stroke. DESIGN: An interdisciplinary working group developed a formalized NCCU Mobility Algorithm that allocates patients to incremental passive or active mobilization pathways on the basis of level of consciousness and motor function. In a quasi-experimental consecutive group comparison, patients with ICH admitted to the NCCU were analyzed in two 6-month epochs, before and after rollout of the algorithm. Mobilization and safety endpoints were compared between epochs. SETTING: NCCU in an urban, academic hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Adult patients admitted to the NCCU with primary intracerebral hemorrhage. INTERVENTION: Progressive mobilization after stroke using a formalized mobility algorithm. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Time to first mobilization. RESULTS: The 2 groups of patients with ICH (pre-algorithm rolllout, n=28; post-algorithm rollout, n=29) were similar on baseline characteristics. Patients in the postintervention group were significantly more likely to undergo mobilization within the first 7 days after admission (odds ratio 8.7, 95% confidence interval 2.1, 36.6; P=.003). No neurologic deterioration, hypotension, falls, or line dislodgments were reported in association with mobilization. A nonsignificant difference in mortality was noted before and after rollout of the algorithm (4% vs 24%, respectively, P=.12). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of a progressive mobility algorithm was safe and associated with a higher likelihood of mobilization in the first week after spontaneous ICH. Research is needed to investigate methods and the timing for the first mobilization in critically ill stroke patients.

Collaterals Predict Outcome Regardless of Time Last Known Normal.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recent studies suggest that patients with large-vessel ischemic strokes (large-vessel occlusion [LVO]) with favorable imaging may benefit from mechanical thrombolysis even when treated outside the standard 6-hour window. However, many patients in these studies presented with unknown times of onset. We compare outcomes in thrombectomy patients treated at less than versus greater than 6 hours from last known well (LKN), and evaluate whether "unknown time of onset" alters prognosis. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients at 2 comprehensive stroke centers. Student's t and chi-square tests evaluated the association between predetermined clinical and radiographic variables, including unknown time of onset, and outcome (discharge and follow-up National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score and modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score) for LVOs treated after greater than 6 hours versus 6 hours or less from LKN. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the odds of good outcome (mRS score 0-2). RESULTS: A total of 113 patients were treated over 2 years; 31 were treated at greater than 6 hours. Those who were treated at greater than 6 hours and experienced poor outcomes were more likely to have large-artery atherosclerosis (P = .033). There was no difference in outcome for patients outside the window with known (39.1%) versus unknown (60.9%) time of onset. mRS scores at discharge were higher among those outside the window (odds ratio 3.78; 95% confidence interval 1.20-11.89) but not at follow-up. After multivariable regression, favorable collaterals alone were associated with a mRS score of 0-2. CONCLUSIONS: When imaging is favorable, the mRS score at follow-up is comparable regardless of time LKN. Functional outcomes appear to be driven most significantly by the presence of collaterals.

Sudden Hearing Loss with Vertigo Portends Greater Stroke Risk Than Sudden Hearing Loss or Vertigo Alone.

BACKGROUND: Because it is unknown whether sudden hearing loss (SHL) in acute vertigo is a "benign" sign (reflecting ear disease) or a "dangerous" sign (reflecting stroke), we sought to compare long-term stroke risk among patients with (1) "SHL with vertigo," (2) "SHL alone," and (3) "vertigo alone" using a large national health-care database. METHODS: Patients with first-incident SHL (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition, Clinical Modification [ICD-9-CM] 388.2) or vertigo (ICD-9-CM 386.x, 780.4) were identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan (2002-2009). We defined SHL with vertigo as a vertigo-related diagnosis ±30 days from the index SHL event. SHL without a temporally proximate vertigo diagnosis was considered SHL alone. The vertigo-alone group had no SHL diagnosis. All the patients were followed up until stroke, death, withdrawal from the database, or current end of the database (December 31, 2012) for a minimum period of 3 years. The hazards of stroke were compared across groups. RESULTS: We studied 218,656 patients (678 SHL with vertigo, 1998 with SHL alone, and 215,980 with vertigo alone). Stroke rates at study end were 5.5% (SHL with vertigo), 3.0% (SHL alone), and 3.9% (vertigo alone). Stroke hazards were higher in SHL with vertigo than in SHL alone (hazard ratio [HR], 1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28-2.91) and in vertigo alone (HR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.18-2.25). Defining a narrower window between SHL and vertigo (±3 days) increased the hazards. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of SHL plus vertigo in close temporal proximity is associated with increased subsequent stroke risk over SHL alone and vertigo alone. This suggests that SHL in patients with vertigo is not necessarily a benign peripheral vestibular sign.

Individual and System Contributions to Race and Sex Disparities in Thrombolysis Use for Stroke Patients in the United States.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) is underutilized in ethnic minorities and women. To disentangle individual and system-based factors determining disparities in IVT use, we investigated race/sex differences in IVT utilization among hospitals serving varying proportions of minority patients. METHODS: Ischemic stroke admissions were identified from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample between 2007 and 2011. Hospitals were categorized based on the percentage of minority patients admitted with stroke (<25% minority patients [white hospitals], 25% to 50% minority patients [mixed hospitals], or >50% minority patients [minority hospitals]). Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between race/sex and IVT use within and between the different hospital strata. RESULTS: Among 337 201 stroke admissions, white men had the highest odds of IVT among all race/sex groups in any hospital strata, and the odds of IVT for white men did not differ by hospital strata. For white women and minority men, the odds of IVT were significantly lower in minority hospitals compared with white hospitals (odds ratio, 0.83; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-0.97, for white women; and odds ratio, 0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.69-0.99, for minority men). Race disparities in IVT use among women were observed in white hospitals (odds ratio, 0.88; 95% confidence interval, 0.78-0.99, in minority compared with white women), but not in minority hospitals (odds ratio, 0.94, 95% confidence interval, 0.82-1.09). Sex disparities in IVT use were observed among whites but not among minorities. CONCLUSIONS: Minority men and white women have significantly lower odds of IVT in minority hospitals compared with white hospitals. IVT use in white men does not differ by hospital strata.

Racial Differences in Palliative Care Use After Stroke in Majority-White, Minority-Serving, and Racially Integrated U.S. Hospitals.

OBJECTIVES: Racial/ethnic differences in palliative care resource use after stroke have been recognized, but it is unclear whether patient or hospital characteristics drive this disparity. We sought to determine whether palliative care use after intracerebral hemorrhage and ischemic stroke differs between hospitals serving varying proportions of minority patients. DESIGN: Population-based cross-sectional study. SETTING: Inpatient hospital admissions from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample between 2007 and 2011. PATIENTS: A total of 46,735 intracerebral hemorrhage and 331,521 ischemic stroke cases. INTERVENTIONS: Palliative care use. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Intracerebral hemorrhage and ischemic stroke admissions were identified from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample between 2007 and 2011. Hospitals were categorized based on the percentage of ethnic minority stroke patients (< 25% minorities ["white hospitals"], 25-50% minorities ["mixed hospitals"], or > 50% minorities ["minority hospitals"]). Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between race/ethnicity and palliative care use within and between the different hospital strata. Stroke patients receiving care in minority hospitals had lower odds of palliative care compared with those treated in white hospitals, regardless of individual patient race/ethnicity (adjusted odds ratio, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.50-0.84 for intracerebral hemorrhage and odds ratio, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.50-0.77 for ischemic stroke). Ethnic minorities had a lower likelihood of receiving palliative care compared with whites in any hospital stratum, but the odds of palliative care for both white and minority intracerebral hemorrhage patients was lower in minority compared with white hospitals (odds ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.50-0.87 for white and odds ratio, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.46-0.88 for minority patients). Similar results were observed in ischemic stroke. CONCLUSIONS: The odds of receiving palliative care for both white and minority stroke patients is lower in minority compared with white hospitals, suggesting system-level factors as a major contributor to explain race disparities in palliative care use after stroke.

Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in Gastrostomy Tube Placement After Intracerebral Hemorrhage in the United States.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tubes are widely used for enteral feeding of patients after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We sought to determine whether PEG placement after ICH differs by race and socioeconomic status. METHODS: Patient discharges with ICH as the primary diagnosis from 2007 to 2011 were queried from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between race, insurance status, and household income with PEG placement. RESULTS: Of 49 946 included ICH admissions, a PEG was placed in 4464 (8.94%). Among PEG recipients, 47.2% were minorities and 15.6% were Medicaid enrollees, whereas 33.7% and 8.2% of patients without a PEG were of a race other than white and enrolled in Medicaid, respectively (P<0.001). Compared with whites, the odds of PEG were highest among Asians/Pacific Islanders (odds ratio [OR] 1.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.32-1.99) and blacks (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.28-1.59). Low household income (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.09-1.44 in lowest compared with highest quartile) and enrollment in Medicaid (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.17-1.59 compared with private insurance) were associated with PEG placement. Racial disparities (minorities versus whites) were most pronounced in small/medium-sized hospitals (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.43-2.20 versus OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.17-1.47 in large hospitals; P value for interaction 0.011) and in hospitals with low ICH case volume (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.38-1.81 versus OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.12-1.50 in hospitals with high ICH case volume; P value for interaction 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Minority race, Medicaid enrollment, and low household income are associated with PEG placement after ICH.

ICAT: a simple score predicting critical care needs after thrombolysis in stroke patients.

BACKGROUND: Patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) for acute ischemic stroke are at risk of developing complications, commonly necessitating admission to an intensive care unit (ICU). At present, most IVT is administered in the Emergency Department or in dedicated stroke units, but no evidence-based criteria exist that allow for early identification of patients at increased risk of developing ICU needs. The present study describes a novel prediction score aiming to identify a subpopulation of post-IVT patients at high risk for critical care interventions. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data from 301 patients undergoing IVT at our institutions during a 5-year period. Two hundred and ninety patients met inclusion criteria. The sample was randomly divided into a development and a validation cohort. Logistic regression was used to develop a risk score by weighting predictors of critical care needs based on strength of association. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients (24.8%) required critical care interventions. Black race (odds ratio [OR] 3.81, p=0.006), male sex (OR 3.79, p=0.008), systolic blood pressure (SBP; OR 1.45 per 10 mm Hg increase in SBP, p<0.001), and NIH stroke scale (NIHSS; OR 1.09 per 1 point increase in NIHSS, p=0.071) were independent predictors of critical care needs. The optimal model for score development, predicting critical care needs, achieved an AUC of 0.782 in the validation group. The score was named the ICAT (Intensive Care After Thrombolysis) score, assigning the following points: black race (1 point), male sex (1 point), SBP (2 points if 160-200 mm Hg; 4 points if >200 mm Hg), and NIHSS (1 point if 7-12; 2 points if >12). Each 1-point increase in the score was associated with 2.22-fold increased odds for critical care needs (95% CI 1.78-2.76, p<0.001). A score ≥ 2 was associated with over 13 times higher odds of critical care needs compared to a score <2 (OR 13.60, 95% CI 3.23-57.19), predicting critical care with 97.2% sensitivity and 28.0% specificity. CONCLUSION: The ICAT score, combining information about race, sex, SBP, and NIHSS, predicts critical care needs in post-IVT patients and may be helpful when triaging post-IVT patients to the appropriate monitoring environment.

Stroke Knowledge in African Americans: A Narrative Review.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this review is to evaluate the state of knowledge in regard to stroke literacy in African Americans. This topic is important for assessing the specific gaps in stroke knowledge for this population, as well as to evaluate the methodology that has been used to assess stroke literacy. METHODS: This narrative review includes studies that evaluated and reported stroke knowledge in African Americans and were published between January 2000 and October 2015. RESULTS: Our review revealed that disparities may exist in recognition of headache and visual symptoms, knowledge of the organ in which stroke occurs, and identification of tobacco use as a risk factor. Stress may be perceived as a more important risk factor among African Americans than among White Americans. The literature does not suggest disparities in knowledge of the appropriate action to take for stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Racial disparities may exist for specific domains of stroke knowledge. Future studies should explore specific gaps in knowledge to be addressed in stroke prevention interventions for African Americans. Standardization of methods is needed to aid comparisons across populations. The relationship between stroke knowledge and clinical outcomes also needs to be evaluated.

Novel score predicting gastrostomy tube placement in intracerebral hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Dysphagia after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) contributes significantly to morbidity, often necessitating placement of a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube. This study describes a novel risk prediction score for PEG placement after ICH. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data from 234 patients with ICH presenting during a 4-year period. One hundred eighty-nine patients met inclusion criteria. The sample was randomly divided into a development and a validation cohort. Logistic regression was used to develop a risk score by weighting predictors of PEG placement based on strength of association. RESULTS: Age (odds ratio [OR], 1.64 per 10-year increase in age; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-2.65), black race (OR, 3.26; 95% CI, 0.96-11.05), Glasgow Coma Scale (OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.62-1.03), and ICH volume (OR, 1.38 per 10-mL increase in ICH volume) were independent predictors of PEG placement. The final model for score development achieved an area under the curve of 0.7911 (95% CI, 0.6931-0.8892) in the validation group. The score was named the GRAVo score: Glasgow Coma Scale ≤12 (2 points), Race (1 point for black), Age >50 years (2 points), and ICH Volume >30 mL (1 point). A score >4 was associated with ≈12× higher odds of PEG placement when compared with a score ≤4 (OR, 11.81; 95% CI, 5.04-27.66), predicting PEG placement with 46.55% sensitivity and 93.13% specificity. CONCLUSIONS: The GRAVo score, combining information about Glasgow Coma Scale, race, age, and ICH volume, may be a useful predictor of PEG placement in ICH patients.

Infarct volume predicts critical care needs in stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis.

INTRODUCTION: Patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IVT) for ischemic stroke are monitored in an intensive care unit (ICU) or a comparable unit capable of ICU interventions due to the high frequency of standardized neurological exams and vital sign checks. The present study evaluates quantitative infarct volume on early post-IVT MRI as a predictor of critical care needs and aims to identify patients who may not require resource intense monitoring. METHODS: We identified 46 patients who underwent MRI within 6 h of IVT. Infarct volume was measured using semiautomated software. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis were used to determine factors associated with ICU needs. RESULTS: Infarct volume was an independent predictor of ICU need after adjusting for age, sex, race, systolic blood pressure, NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and coronary artery disease (odds ratio 1.031 per cm(3) increase in volume, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.004-1.058, p = 0.024). The ROC curve with infarct volume alone achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.766 (95% CI 0.605-0.927), while the AUC was 0.906 (95% CI 0.814-0.998) after adjusting for race, systolic blood pressure, and NIHSS. Maximum Youden index calculations identified an optimal infarct volume cut point of 6.8 cm(3) (sensitivity 75.0%, specificity 76.7%). Infarct volume greater than 3 cm(3) predicted need for critical care interventions with 81.3% sensitivity and 66.7% specificity. CONCLUSION: Infarct volume may predict needs for ICU monitoring and interventions in stroke patients treated with IVT.

Intracranial plaque enhancement in patients with cerebrovascular events on high-spatial-resolution MR images.

PURPOSE: To characterize intracranial plaque inflammation in vivo by using three-dimensional (3D) high-spatial-resolution contrast material-enhanced black-blood (BB) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and to investigate the relationship between intracranial plaque inflammation and cerebrovascular ischemic events. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was approved by the institutional review board and was HIPAA compliant. Twenty-seven patients (19 men; mean age, 56.8 years ± 12.4 [standard deviation]) with cerebrovascular ischemic events (acute stroke, n = 20; subacute stroke, n = 2; chronic stroke, n = 3; transient ischemic attack, n = 2) underwent 3D time-of-flight MR angiography and contrast-enhanced BB 3-T MR imaging for intracranial atherosclerotic disease. Each identified plaque was classified as either culprit (the only or most stenotic lesion upstream from a stroke), probably culprit (not the most stenotic lesion upstream from a stroke), or nonculprit (not within the vascular territory of a stroke). Plaque contrast enhancement was categorized on BB MR images (grade 0, enhancement less than or equal to that of normal arterial walls seen elsewhere; grade 1, enhancement greater than grade 0 but less than that of the pituitary infundibulum; grade 2, enhancement greater than or equal to that of the pituitary infundibulum), and degree of contrast enhancement was calculated. Associations of the likelihood of being a culprit lesion with both plaque contrast enhancement and plaque thickness were estimated with ordinal logistic regression. RESULTS: Seventy-eight plaques were identified in 20 patients with acute stroke (21 [27%] culprit, 12 [15%] probably culprit, and 45 [58%] nonculprit plaques). In these patients, grade 2 contrast enhancement was associated with culprit plaques (odds ratio 34.6; 95% confidence interval: 4.5, 266.5 compared with grade 0) when adjusted for plaque thickness. Grade 0 was observed in only nonculprit plaques. Culprit plaques had a higher degree of contrast enhancement than did nonculprit plaques (25.9% ± 13.4 vs 13.6% ± 12.3, P = .003). CONCLUSION: Contrast enhancement of intracranial atherosclerotic plaque is associated with its likelihood to have caused a recent ischemic event and may serve as a marker of its stability, thereby providing important insight into stroke risk.