Telemedicine for the acute management of stroke in Burgundy, France: an evaluation of effectiveness and safety.

BACKGROUND: In the context of the development of telemedicine in France to address low thrombolysis rates and limited stroke infrastructures, a star-shaped telestroke network was implemented in Burgundy (1.6 million inhabitants). We evaluated the safety and effectiveness of this network for thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke patients. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-two consecutive patients who received intravenous thrombolysis during a telemedicine procedure (2012-2014) and 222 consecutive patients who were treated at the stroke center of Dijon University Hospital, France (2011-2012) were included. Main outcomes were the modified Rankin scale (mRS) score and case fatality at 3 months. Comparisons between groups were made using multivariable ordinal logistic regression and logistic regression analyses, respectively. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics of telethrombolysis patients were similar to those of patients undergoing thrombolysis locally except for a higher frequency of previous cancer and pre-morbid handicap, and a trend towards greater severity at admission in the former. The distribution of mRS scores at 3 months was similar between groups, as were case-fatality rates (18.9% in the telethrombolysis group versus 16.5%, P = 0.56). In multivariable models, telethrombolysis did not independently influence functional outcomes at 3 months (odds ratio for a shift towards a worse outcome on the mRS, 1.11; 95% confidence interval, 0.74-1.66, P = 0.62) or death (odds ratio, 0.86; 95% confidence interval, 0.44-1.69, P = 0.66). CONCLUSION: The implementation of a regional telemedicine network for the management of acute ischemic stroke appeared to be effective and safe. Thanks to this network, the proportion of patients who benefit from thrombolysis will increase. Further research is needed to evaluate economic benefits.

Epidemiology of stroke and transient ischemic attacks: Current knowledge and perspectives.

Because of the growing size and aging of the world's population, the global burden of stroke is increasing dramatically. Current epidemiological data indicate that 16.9 million people suffer a stroke each year, which represents a global incidence of 258/100,000/year, with marked differences between high- and low-income countries, and an age-adjusted incidence 1.5 times higher in men than in women. Although primary prevention has contributed to a decrease in stroke incidence in high-income countries, the so-called 'epidemiological transition' has led to an increase in incidence in middle-to-low-income countries as well. In addition, the incidence of ischemic stroke in young adults is on the rise, suggesting a need for specific preventative interventions in that age group. The number of stroke survivors almost doubled between 1990 and 2010, and has now reached 33 million people. According to epidemiological projections, this number will rise to 77 million by 2030. In France, the number of hospitalizations for an acute cerebrovascular event was about 138,000 in 2009, accounting for 3% of the total national health expenditure. Outcomes after stroke are frequently impaired by complications, including motor handicaps, dementia, depression, fatigue, and a high risk of early rehospitalization and institutionalization, with adverse consequences in terms of socioeconomic costs. In addition, there are 5.9 million stroke-related deaths worldwide every year. Finally, although many analytical epidemiological studies have considerably increased our knowledge of risk factors for stroke, the recent INTERSTROKE study provided evidence that 10 risk factors alone accounted for 88% of all strokes. Many of these risk factors are modifiable, which suggests that efforts should be made to promote interventions that aim to reduce the risk of stroke. A new 'mass approach' aiming to reduce the level of stroke risk factors in all people in a region, regardless of any given individual's level of risk, is currently still being developed. This interesting and innovative way to spread stroke awareness is based on the use of an internationally validated mobile-phone application that can calculate the risk of stroke for any given individual, and also contains a section to educate people on stroke warning symptoms and signs.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D predicts severity and prognosis in stroke patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and both clinical severity at admission and outcome at discharge in stroke patients. METHODS: From February 2010 to December 2010, consecutive stroke patients admitted to the Department of Neurology of Dijon, France, were identified. Clinical information was collected. Serum concentration of 25(OH)D was measured at baseline. Stroke severity was assessed at admission using the NIHSS score. Functional impairment was evaluated at discharge using the modified Rankin scale (m-Rankin). Multivariate analyses were performed using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Of the 386 recorded patients, serum 25(OH)D levels were obtained in 382 (median value = 35.1 nM; IQR = 21-57.8). At admission, 208 patients had a NIHSS ≤5, with a higher mean 25(OH)D level than that observed in patients with moderate-to-high severity (45.9 vs. 38.6 nM, P < 0.001). In multivariate analyses, a 25(OH)D level in the lowest tertile (<25.7 nM) was a predictor of a NIHSS ≥6 (OR = 1.67; 95% CI = 1.05-2.68; P = 0.03). The mean 25(OH)D level was lower in patients with moderate-to-severe handicap at discharge (m-Rankin 3-6) than in patients with no or mild handicap (35.0 vs. 47.5 nM, P < 0.001). In multivariate analyses, the lowest tertile of 25(OH)D level (<25.7 nM) was associated with a higher risk of moderate-to-severe handicap (OR = 2.06; 95% CI = 1.06-3.94; P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: A low serum 25(OH)D level is a predictor of both severity at admission and poor early functional outcome in stroke patients. The underlying mechanisms of these associations remain to be investigated.