Before VAN can be Recommended as a Means of Assessing ELVO, Its Reliability must be Proven by Appropriate Studies.

How to cite this article: Finsterer J, Mehri S. Before VAN can be Recommended as a Means of Assessing ELVO, Its Reliability must be Proven by Appropriate Studies. Indian J Crit Care Med 2023;27(12):943-944.

Stumbling Blocks to Stroke Thrombolysis: An Indian Perspective.

Background and purpose: Stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Developing countries, however, still lag behind in providing timely thrombolytic therapy (TLT) to many eligible patients owing to various reasons. This study aims to identify such factors. Materials and methods: This was a descriptive observational study undertaken over a period of 18 months at a tertiary care teaching hospital and included 252 acute ischemic stroke patients of which 200 were not thrombolyzed. The reasons for nonthrombolysis were recorded and analyzed. Results: The study included 252 acute ischemic stroke patients of which only 20% were thrombolyzed. Of the 200 nonthrombolyzed patients, 55% arrived out of the window period while patient-related factors were the second biggest factor preventing thrombolysis. Hospital factors at 14% and financial constraints at 4.5% contributed significantly. Delayed consent emerged as an important factor making 6% of the delays. Conclusion: Stroke thrombolysis still faces various pre- and intrahospital barriers in India. There is an urgent need to improve infrastructure and organizational streamlining to enable eligible patients to receive prompt treatment. How to cite this article: Shah A, Diwan A. Stumbling Blocks to Stroke Thrombolysis: An Indian Perspective. Indian J Crit Care Med 2023;27(9):616-619.

Does Body Mass Index Impact the Outcome of Stroke Patients Who Received Intravenous Thrombolysis?

BACKGROUND: We sought to investigate the effect of obesity and BMI on functional outcome and rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) in a large sample of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). METHODS: In a single-center retrospective, but prospectively collected data, study of patients with AIS treated with IVT in a 10-year period, patients were placed into groups based on their BMI defined as underweight (<18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (18.5-24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25-29.9 kg/m2), or obese (<30 kg/m2). The rate of sICH and discharge modified Rankin Scale (mRS) were compared between the groups using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: In a total of 834 patients who received IVT for AIS during a 10-year period, 224 (27.0%) were obese. Obese patients did not have a higher rate of sICH after IVT for AIS on the unadjusted or adjusted analysis (adjusted OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.48-1.88). We did not find an association between obesity and poor functional outcome at discharge (adjusted OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.53-1.09). CONCLUSIONS: After adjusting for confounding factors such as age, baseline National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and comorbidities, obesity was not associated with an unfavorable functional outcome at discharge nor with a higher risk of sICH in patients with AIS treated with IVT.

COVID-19 and Stroke: Casual or Causal Role?

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 outbreak is currently the major public health concern worldwide. This infection, caused by the novel coronavirus Sars Cov2, primarily affects respiratory system, but there is increasing evidence of neurologic involvement and cerebrovascular accidents. CASE REPORT: We present a case of stroke in a 62-year-old COVID-19-positive patient, with multiple vascular risk factors. The patient arrived 1 h after onset of symptoms, was treated with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) with improvement of neurologic deficits, and later developed right foot arterial ischemia (recanalized by balloon catheter angioplasty) and left arm superficial venous thrombosis. A control computed tomography (CT) scan 7 days after onset showed hemorrhagic transformation of ischemic lesion without mass effect. However, respiratory and neurologic conditions improved so that the patient was discharged to rehabilitation. DISCUSSION: Until now, few cases of stroke in COVID-19 have been described, mainly in severe forms. This patient had ischemic injuries in different sites as well as venous thrombosis; hence, we speculate that Sars Cov2 could have a direct role in promoting vascular accidents since its receptor ACE2 is a surface protein also expressed by endothelial cells. This case suggests that COVID-19 can favor strokes and in general vascular complications, even in milder cases, and the presence of preexisting risk factors could play a determinant role.

Legal medicine implications in fibrinolytic therapy of acute ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND: Before the advent of fibrinolytic therapy as a gold standard method of care for cases of acute ischemic stroke in Romania, issues regarding legal medicine aspects involved in this area of medical expertise were already presented and, in the majority of cases, the doctors seem to be unprepared for these situations. MAIN TEXT: The present research illustrates some of the cases in which these aspects were involved, that adressed a clinical center having 6 years of professional experience in the application of fibrinolytic treatment for stroke. The following cases report either situations in which the afore mentioned therapy was not rightfully administrated or legal aspects regarding the obtainment of informed consent. CONCLUSION: Obtaining informed consent is a mandatory procedure, which takes time, to the detriment of application of fibrinolytic treatment.

Evaluation of the implementation of a 24-hr stroke thrombolysis emergency treatment for patients with acute ischaemic stroke.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To assess the trends of intravenous (IV) thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) among patients with acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) admitted to our hospital between 2012-2014 and investigate the effects of a 24-hr stroke thrombolysis emergency treatment on the intrahospital clinical data and outcomes of these patients treated with IV rt-PA thrombolysis. BACKGROUND: Although prenotification of stroke by emergency medical services has been endorsed by the national recommendations and implemented in some developed countries, the development in China is limited. DESIGN: A retrospective, single-centre, observational study. METHODS: Patients with AIS admitted to our hospital between January 2012-December 2014 were included; those who received IV rt-PA thrombolysis within 4.5 hr of onset were investigated. Demographic characteristics, including age and sex, and clinical data and outcomes, including onset-to-treatment time (OTT), door-to-needle time (DNT), premorbid modified Rankin Scale score and proportion of patients treated per year, were all recorded. RESULTS: The proportion of patients with AIS who received thrombolytic therapy within 4.5 hr increased from 2012-2014. The baseline characteristics of all patients were similar. Since the implementation of 24-hr stroke thrombolysis emergency treatment in 2013, the median DNT significantly decreased in 2014 after implementation (42 min) compared with that in 2012 before implementation (81 min) (p < .05). Moreover, the admission-to-imaging time (37 vs. 33 vs. 36 min) and OTT (176 vs. 147 vs. 124 min) significantly decreased during the 3 years (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The 24-hr stroke thrombolysis emergency treatment reduced in-hospital delay before thrombolytic therapy but had no effect on the functional outcomes of the patients with AIS. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study provides opportunities to improve the experiences in using 24-h stroke thrombolysis emergency treatment in patients with AIS in clinical practice.

Intravenously administered tissue plasminogen activator useful in milder strokes? A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The dilemma of whether to treat mild strokes with tPA is a chronic problem. We performed a meta-analysis and metaregression of the published literature to determine the best definition of mild strokes and if intravenously administered tissue plasminogen activator (IV-tPA) is beneficial. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Science Direct, and Cochrane CENTRAL were searched from inception to May 2013. The search terms used were "stroke," "cerebral infarct," "mild stroke," "minor stroke," "small infarct," "modified Rankin scale," "National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score," "stroke thrombolysis," and their combinations. Studies were included if they (1) involved 5 or more human patients with stroke; (2) analyzed modified Rankin scale (mRS) scores as the main variables of interest; (3) presented outcomes for NIHSS scores less than 6, 5, 4, or 3 points. Good outcomes were defined as mRS scores 0-1, and other outcomes studied were intracranial hemorrhage and mortality. RESULTS: Of 894 articles, 30 articles met our criteria. Only 8 articles provided patients arms with and without tPA treatment. A total of 637 patients with IV-tPA treatment and 568 without thrombolysis were included in analysis. Good outcomes were associated with tPA and just reached statistical significance (pooled odds ratio [OR], 1.319; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.004-1.733; z = 1.987; P = .047). There were moderate levels of heterogeneity between studies (τ(2) = .346; Q = 19.974; df = 7; P = .006; I(2) = 64.954). On metaregression of a-priori sources of heterogeneity within individuals, we found age (B = -.37; z = -2.496; P = .012) to be a significant moderator. Mortality was not significantly different between IV-tPA-treated and nonthrombolyzed groups (pooled OR 1.095; 95% CI, .438-2.738; z = .193; P = .847). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with mild stroke may derive benefit from intravenous thrombolysis without a significant increase in mortality.

Large right middle cerebral artery stroke with hemorrhagic transformation.

The authors present a case of an acute right middle cerebral artery infarct in a 65-year-old male with a history of diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. The timeline of treatment and the evolution of the stroke is described. This case highlights the significant burden of right-sided cerebral artery stroke, even when intervention is swift.

Cough-Induced Bilateral Internal Carotid Artery Dissection Complicated With Large Vessel Occlusion and Malignant Middle Cerebral Artery Syndrome.

Cervical artery dissection (carotid artery and vertebral artery) is one of the important causes of cerebrovascular accidents, particularly in younger patients without traditional vascular risk factors. Coughing caused by respiratory tract infections can, in rare cases, lead to a vessel wall tear, potentially resulting in embolism. We present a 55-year-old man who came to the hospital with transient episodes of left arm weakness, dysarthria, and facial numbness, which progressed to left hemiparesis in three hours. A non-enhanced brain CT scan and cerebral angiography showed thrombus in M1 segment of the right middle cerebral artery (MCA) with extensive occlusion of the right internal carotid artery (ICA) with marked dissection of the cervical portion of the left ICA. He was initially treated with intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase, according to the hospital's protocol. His symptoms improved temporarily but he later developed a thrombus in the same vessel complicated by malignant MCA. We discuss the identification of carotid artery dissection, escalation, and management of the patient.

A case-controlled comparison of thrombolysis outcomes between wake-up and known time of onset ischemic stroke patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Wake-up ischemic stroke (WUIS) patients are not thrombolysed even if they meet other criteria for treatment. We hypothesized that patients with WUIS showing no or early ischemic changes on brain imaging will have thrombolysis outcomes comparable with those with known time of symptom onset. METHODS: Consecutive sampling of a prospective registry of patients with stroke between January 2009 and December 2010 identified 394 thrombolysed patients meeting predefined inclusion criteria, 326 presenting within 0 to 4.5 hours of symptom onset (Reference Group) and 68 WUIS patients. Inclusion criteria were last seen normal<12 hours or >4.5 hours (WUIS) or presented <4.5 hours (Reference Group), had National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≥5, and no or early ischemic changes on imaging at presentation. The primary outcome measure was the modified Rankin Scale of 0 to 2 at 90 days measured by trained assessors blinded to patient grouping. Other outcome measures were symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage, modified Rankin Scale 0 to 1, and mortality at 90 days. RESULTS: The groups were comparable for mean age (72.8 versus 73.9 years; P=0.58) and baseline median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (median 13 versus 12; P=0.34). The proportions of patients with modified Rankin Scale 0 to 2 (38% versus 37%; P=0.89) and modified Rankin Scale 0 to 1 (24% versus 16%; P=0.18) at 90 days, any ICH (20% versus 22%; P=0.42) and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (3.4% versus 2.9%; P=1.0) were comparable after adjusting for age, stroke severity, and imaging changes. Only 9/394 (2%) patients were lost to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Thrombolysis in selected patients with WUIS is feasible, and its outcomes are comparable with those thrombolysed with 0 to 4.5 hours.

Feasibility of switching from alteplase to tenecteplase for stroke thrombolysis - A retrospective cohort analysis.

Introduction: Tenecteplase (TNK-tPA) has several benefits over alteplase (tPA) in treatment of acute ischaemic stroke. Randomised controlled trials have shown promising results. In June 2017, the Stroke Unit at Sundsvall County Hospital switched from tPA to TNK-tPA in standard clinical practice. This study examines the effects of that shift. Methods: All thrombolysis treatments performed during the first twenty-four months with TNK-tPA (168) were compared to the last twenty-four months with tPA (191). Data were collected from patient records. Follow-up time was 30 days. Co-primary outcomes were death and symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (SICH). Secondary outcomes were types of intracerebral bleeding and cause of death. Tertiary outcome was door-to-needle time (DNT). Results: Treatment groups were of comparable age (75.7 ± 0.2 years). tPA-treated patients had an NIHSS (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale) score of 9.2 versus 7.5 for TNK-tPA. Patients older than 80 had more severe strokes (median NIHSS 9 versus 5). SICH occurred in 6 (3.6 %) patients in the TNK-tPA group and in 2 (1.0 %) treated with tPA, odds ratio (OR) 3.41 (0.70-16.7). Numbers for death were 21 (12.5 %) and 31 (15.2 %), OR 0.77 (0.46-1.29), meaning no statistically significant differences in primary outcomes. There were no significant differences in secondary outcomes. Predominant cause of death was cerebral infarction. DNT with tenecteplase was shorter: mean 44 versus 26, and median 35 versus 19 min. Conclusions: Switching from alteplase to tenecteplase was associated with shorter time to treatment. To draw certain conclusions regarding safety or efficacy would require a larger material.

A Comparative Study of Hemorrhagic Conversion Patterns After Stroke Thrombolysis With Alteplase Versus Tenecteplase.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Tenecteplase is the thrombolytic drug of choice for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) as it has unique pharmacologic properties, along with results demonstrating its non-inferiority compared to alteplase. However, there are contradictory data concerning the risk of intracranial hemorrhage. The purpose of the study was to report the rate and patterns of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) in AIS patients after thrombolysis with tenecteplase compared to alteplase. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study with data collected 90 days before and after the change from alteplase to tenecteplase from 15 Texas stroke centers. The primary endpoint is the incidence of sICH according to the Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke-Monitoring Study (SITS-MOST) and European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study III (ECASS-3) criteria. The secondary endpoints are the radiographic pattern of hemorrhagic conversion according to the Heidelberg bleeding classification (HBC). RESULTS: A total of 431 patients were eligible for thrombolytic therapy. Half of the cohort received alteplase (n=216), and the other half received tenecteplase (n=215). The average age of the alteplase group was 62.94 years old (SD=15.12) and 64.45 years old (SD=14.51) for the tenecteplase group. Seven patients in the alteplase group (3.2%) and 14 (6.5%) in the tenecteplase group had sICH, with an odds ratio of 1.44 (95% CI 0.60-3.43; P=0.41). An increased National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score on arrival (1.06; 95% CI 1.0004-1.131; P=0.04) was a statistically significant predictor of sICH. Tenecteplase was associated with a statistically significant increase in HBC-3 (P=0.040) over alteplase. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with alteplase, our study revealed a higher rate of sICH with tenecteplase that was not statistically significant and a higher rate of HBC-3 hemorrhages that was statistically significant. The proposed mechanism of bleeding is hemorrhagic conversion in clinically silent infarcts and contusions underlying the lesions. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings and determine predictive risk factors.

Bilateral Internal Carotid Arteries Occlusion: A Case Report.

Bilateral internal carotid artery occlusion is a disease that is encountered rarely. We report a case of a 54 years old female smoker, who presented with acute onset right-sided limb weakness, facial deviation and slurring of speech. On computed tomography angiography occlusion of the bilateral internal carotid artery was seen and a high-flow collateral circulation was formed through the vertebrobasilar system. Computed tomography brain perfusion showed marked cerebral hypoperfusion on the left side. The patient was thrombolysed and kept on dual antiplatelet therapy. Post-medical treatment, motor power and speech significantly improved.

Why do some patients with acute ischemic stroke fail to improve after intravenous thrombolytic therapy? A case-control study / Por que alguns pacientes com acidente vascular cerebral isquêmico agudo após terapia trombolítica endovenosa não melhoram? Um estudo caso-controle

Introdução: a terapia trombolítica é a principal medida salvadora adotada em vítimas de acidente vascular cerebral isquêmico (AVCI), adequada para a maioria delas. Entretanto, alguns pacientes não apresentam evolução clínica, piorando o prognóstico, o que constitui uma lacuna científica essencial. Objetivo: analisar os determinantes da não melhora clínica em pacientes com AVC em uso de trombolíticos rt-PA.Método: estudo observacional retrospectivo caso-controle, realizado de 2014 a 2017 por meio de busca ativa de prontuários de pacientes com AVC submetidos à terapia trombolítica em um hospital de referência no Ceará. A falência clínica foi caracterizada como ausência de redução no National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale-Score (NIHSS).Resultados: um total de 139 pacientes incluídos no estudo em uma única unidade de AVC. A média de idade foi de 66,14 anos (variando de 34 a 95). O seguimento de 24 horas foi completado em 100% dos pacientes. Resultado favorável 24 horas pós-trombólise foi observado em 113 pacientes (81,29%), e não houve melhora clínica em 26 (18,7%). A transformação hemorrágica pós-trombólise foi um forte preditor de não melhora (p=0,004), e diabetes foi o principal fator de risco modificável encontrado (p=0,040).Conclusão: diabetes e transformação hemorrágica após trombólise foram identificados como fatores de risco para não melhora clínica em pacientes com AVC agudo submetidos à terapia trombolítica.

Introduction: thrombolytic therapy is the primary saving measure adopted in ischemic cerebrovascular accident (ICVA) victims, adequate for most of them. However, some patients do not show clinical progress, worsening the prognosis, which constitutes an essential scientific gap.Objective: to analyze the determinants of clinical non-improvement in stroke patients who used rt-PA thrombolytic agentes.Methods: retrospective observational case-control study, carried out from 2014 to 2017 through an active search of medical records of CVA patients undergoing thrombolytic therapy in a reference hospital in Ceará. Clinical failure was characterized as no reduction in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale-Score (NIHSS).Results: a total of 139 patients enrolled in the study in a single CVA unit. The mean age was 66.14 years (range 34 to 95). The 24-hour follow-up was completed in 100% of patients. A favorable result 24 hours post-thrombolysis was observed in 113 patients (81.29%), and there was no clinical improvement in 26 (18.7%). Post-thrombolysis hemorrhagic transformation was a strong predictor of no improvement (p=0.004), and diabetes was the main modifiable risk factor found (p=0.040).Conclusion: diabetes and hemorrhagic transformation after thrombolysis were identified as risk factors for clinical non-improvement in patients with acute stroke undergoing thrombolytic therapy.

New standardized nursing cooperation workflow to reduce stroke thrombolysis delays in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the effectiveness of a new standardized nursing cooperation workflow in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) to reduce stroke thrombolysis delays. PATIENTS AND METHODS: AIS patients receiving conventional thrombolysis treatment from March to September 2015 were included in the control group, referred to as T0. The intervention group, referred to as T1 group, consisted of AIS patients receiving a new standardized nursing cooperation workflow for intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) at the emergency department of Shanghai East Hospital (Shanghai, People's Republic of China) from October 2015 to March 2016. Information was collected on the following therapeutic techniques used: application or not of thrombolysis, computed tomography (CT) time, and door-to-needle (DTN) time. A nursing coordinator who helped patients fulfill the medical examinations and diagnosis was appointed to T1 group. In addition, a nurse was sent immediately from the stroke unit to the emergency department to aid the thrombolysis treatment. RESULTS: The average value of the door-to-CT initiation time was 38.67±5.21 min in the T0 group, whereas it was 14.39±4.35 min in the T1 group; the average values of CT completion-to-needle time were 55.06±4.82 and 30.26±3.66 min; the average values of DTN time were 100.43±6.05 and 55.68±3.62 min, respectively; thrombolysis time was improved from 12.8% (88/689) in the T0 group to 32.5% (231/712) in the T1 group (all P<0.01). In addition, the new standardized nursing cooperation workflow decreased the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores at 24 h (P<0.01) (T0: prethrombolysis, 6.97±3.98; 24 h postthrombolysis, 3.33±2.09; 2 weeks postthrombolysis, 2.25±1.01 and T1: prethrombolysis, 7.00±3.89; 24 h postthrombolysis, 2.60±1.66; 2 weeks postthrombolysis, 2.21±1.02). CONCLUSION: The new standardized nursing cooperation workflow reduced stroke thrombolysis delays in patients with AIS.

Approaches to the field recognition of potential thrombectomy candidates.

Systems of care for acute ischemic stroke are being challenged to implement processes that ensure rapid access to endovascular thrombectomy. Optimizing existing regionalized stroke thrombolysis programs for endovascular thrombectomy will require accurate field recognition of treatment candidates. We begin with a review of the development of early clinical tests for ischemic stroke, illustrating challenges relevant to future field tests for large vessel occlusion. Second, we discuss aspects of diagnosis, eligibility, feasibility, and system organization that are potentially relevant to the development and implementation of field tests and diversion criteria. These considerations may influence the choice and parametrization of field tests in individual jurisdictions. Third, we review the literature evaluating eight clinical tests for the field identification of probable large vessel occlusion. All candidate tests include evaluations for focal weakness, and six evaluate for cortical signs such as aphasia or gaze deviation. Most appear roughly comparable to the NIH Stroke Scale, but direct comparison between studies is inappropriate because of major methodological differences. Finally, we discuss our jurisdiction's approach to the field recognition of thrombectomy candidates. We contextualize diagnostic, eligibility, and system considerations within distinct metro and rural environments and propose a screen-and-consult model for the rural setting.

Intravenous rtPA versus mechanical thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke: A historical cohort in Joinville, Brazil.

Groundbreaking results concerning ischemic stroke (IS) hyperacute treatment worldwide were published in 2014 and 2015. We aimed to compare functional status after 3 months in patients treated with intra-arterial thrombectomy (IAT) and those treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) alone in Joinville, Brazil. From the Joinville Stroke Registry, we extracted and compared all consecutive IVT patients treated with r-tPA within 4.5 h in the period 2009-2011 versus all consecutive IAT treated within 6 h with the Solitaire FR device plus IVT in the period 2012-2014. We registered 82 patients in the IVT group and 31 patients in the IAT group. At hospital admission, patients in the IAT group were significantly younger (p < 0.001), had a higher educational level (p = 0.001), had a slightly higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation (p = 0.057) and had more severe strokes measured by the NIH stroke scale (p = 0.011). After 90 days, 45% of patients in the IAT group and 27% in the IVT group were independent (0-1 points) according to the modified Rankin scale (adjusted odds ratio: 4.53; 95% CI: 1.22 to 16.75). Symptomatic hemorrhage was diagnosed in 10% of patients in both groups (p = 1.0). The 90-day case-fatality was 39% (32/82) in the IVT group and 26% (8/31) in the IAT group (p = 0.27). In this small cohort, a greater rate of functional independence was achieved in patients treated with IAT plus IVT, compared with patients treated with IVT lysis alone. Our "real-world" findings are consistent with results of controlled, randomized clinical trials.

Outcome of intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke in patients aged over 80 years.

AIM: Practitioners are faced with a substantial challenge when considering recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) therapy for older patients with ischemic stroke. Patients aged over 80 years suffer from the most severe cerebral infarcts. The benefit of rt-PA treatment compared with single standard care only in stroke units remains to be clearly assessed. METHODS: We collected data from 321 patients aged over 80 years admitted for acute cerebral infarction to the stroke unit of Nancy University Hospital in France between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2012. Patients were stratified into two groups: treated or not with rt-PA. Baseline characteristics and outcome were collected and compared between both groups. Good outcome at 3 months was defined as modified Rankin Scale score ≤2. RESULTS: The 55 patients treated with rt-PA had a higher National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score on admission than those without (15 vs 5; P < 0.001). They were more likely to have intracranial haemorrhage (20 vs 5%; P < 0.001) without an increased mortality rate (28 vs 27%; P = 0.95). Multivariate analysis showed a more favorable outcome (odds ratio 7, 95% confidence interval 3-16.5; P < 0.001). Slightly higher percentages of patients with modified Rankin Scale ≤2 were found after intention-to-treat analysis (49 vs 45%) and after exclusion of patients with baseline modified Rankin Scale >2 (57 vs 54 %), but without reaching significance (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Rt-PA therapy would appear to improve prognosis in the elderly with ischemic stroke. This suggests that age alone should no longer be a barrier to rt-PA therapy. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 843-849.

Comparison of predictive scores of symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage after stroke thrombolysis in a single centre.

UNLABELLED: Symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage following thrombolysis for ischaemic stroke causes significant morbidity and mortality. This study assessed which of four risk scores (SEDAN, HAT, GRASPS and SITS) best predicts symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage. METHODS: Data from 431 patients treated at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (2003-2013) were extracted from a thrombolysis database. Score performance was compared using area under the curve. RESULTS: Any intracerebral haemorrhage occurred in 12% of patients (53/413); 11% fulfilling the SITS-MOST symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage definition (6/53), 34% the ECASS II definition (18/53), and 43% the National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke definition (23/53). Stroke severity, as defined by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, significantly improved after 24 hours in patients without intracerebral haemorrhage, but not in those with. Significant symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage predictors were age, glucose, stroke severity, hyperdense middle cerebral artery on CT scan, ASPECTS score and anti-platelet therapy. The haemorrhage after thrombolysis score performed best at predicting symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage (area under the curve 0.67-0.78, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The haemorrhage after thrombolysis score uses the least variables and has the best predictive value for symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage. Using predictive scores for clinical decision making depends on estimation of overall benefits as well as risk.