Neurologists Preferences on Basic and Advanced Cardiac Imaging Utilization in Ischemic Stroke Patients.

INTRODUCTION: It is unknown how cardiac imaging studies are used by neurologists to investigate cardioembolic sources in ischemic stroke patients. METHODS: Between August 12, 2023, and December 8, 2023, we conducted an international survey among neurologists from Europe, North America, South America, and Asia, to investigate the frequency of utilization of cardiac imaging studies for the detection of cardioembolic sources of ischemic stroke. Questions were structured into deciles of percentage utilization of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), ECG-gated cardiac computed tomography (G-CCT), and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI). We estimated the weighted proportion (x¯) of utilization of each cardiac imaging modality, both globally and by continent. We also investigated the use of head and neck computed tomography angiography (CTA) as an emerging approach to the screening of cardioembolic sources. RESULTS: A total of 402 neurologists from 64 countries completed the survey. Globally, TTE was the most frequently used cardiac imaging technology (x¯ = 71.2%), followed by TEE (x¯ = 15.8%), G-CCT (x¯ = 10.9%), and CMRI (x¯ = 7.7%). Findings were consistent across all continents. A total of 288 respondents routinely used a CTA in the acute ischemic stroke phase (71.6%), but the CTA included a non-gated CCT in only 15 cases (5.2%). CONCLUSIONS: This survey suggests that basic cardiac imaging is not done in all ischemic stroke patients evaluated in 4 continents. We also found a substantially low utilization of advanced cardiac imaging studies. Easier to adopt screening methods for cardioembolic sources of embolism are needed.

Posterior circulation collaterals as predictors of outcome in basilar artery occlusion: a sub-analysis of the BASICS randomized trial.

Introduction and purpose: Basilar artery occlusion (BAO) is still one of the most devastating neurological conditions associated with high morbidity and mortality. In the present study, we aimed to assess the role of posterior circulation collaterals as predictors of outcome in the BASICS trial and to compare two grading systems (BATMAN score and PC-CS) in terms of prognostic value. Methods: We performed a sub-analysis of the BASICS trial. Baseline clinical and imaging variables were analyzed. For the imaging analysis, baseline CT and CTA were analyzed by a central core lab. Only those patients with good or moderate quality of baseline CTA and with confirmed BAO were included. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used to test the independent association of clinical and imaging characteristics with a favorable outcome at 3 months (defined as a modified Rankin Score of ≤3). ROC curve analysis was used to assess and compare accuracy between the two collateral grading systems. Results: The mean age was 67.0 (±12.5) years, 196 (65.3%) patients were males and the median NIHSS was 21.5 (IQR 11-35). Median NCCT pc-ASPECTS was 10 (IQR10-10) and median collateral scores for BATMAN and PC-CS were 8 (IQR 7-9) and 7 (IQR 6-8) respectively. Collateral scores were associated with favorable outcome at 3 months for both BATMAN and PC-CS but only with a modest accuracy on ROC curve analysis (AUC 0.62, 95% CI [0.55-0.69] and 0.67, 95% CI [0.60-0.74] respectively). Age (OR 0.97, 95% CI [0.95-1.00]), NIHSS (OR 0.91, 95% CI [0.89-0.94]) and collateral score (PC-CS - OR 1.2495% CI [1.02-1.51]) were independently associated with clinical outcome. Conclusion: The two collateral grading systems presented modest prognostic accuracy. Only the PC-CS was independently associated with a favorable outcome at 3 months.

The MAPSTROKE project: A computational strategy to improve access to acute stroke care.

BACKGROUND: Global access to acute stroke treatment is variable worldwide, with notable gaps in low and middle-income countries (LMIC), especially in rural areas. Ensuring a standardized method for pinpointing the existing regional coverage and proposing potential sites for new stroke centers is essential to change this scenario. AIMS: To create and apply computational strategies (CSs) to determine optimal locations for new acute stroke centers (ASCs), with a pilot application in nine Latin American regions/countries. METHODS: Hospitals treating acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and meeting the minimum infrastructure requirements per structured protocols were categorized as ASCs. Hospitals with emergency departments, noncontrast computed tomography (NCCT) scanners, and 24/7 laboratories were identified as potential acute stroke centers (PASCs). Hospital geolocation data were collected and mapped using the OpenStreetMap data set. A 45-min drive radius was considered the ideal coverage area for each hospital based on the drive speeds from the OpenRouteService database. Population data, including demographic density, were obtained from the Kontur Population data sets. The proposed CS assessed the population covered by ASCs and proposed new ASCs or artificial points (APs) settled in densely populated areas to achieve a target population coverage (TPC) of 95%. RESULTS: The observed coverage in the region presented significant disparities, ranging from 0% in the Bahamas to 73.92% in Trinidad and Tobago. No country/region reached the 95% TPC using only its current ASCs or PASCs, leading to the proposal of APs. For example, in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, the introduction of 132 new centers was suggested. Furthermore, it was observed that most ASCs were in major urban hubs or university hospitals, leaving rural areas largely underserved. CONCLUSIONS: The MAPSTROKE project has the potential to provide a systematic approach to identify areas with limited access to stroke centers and propose solutions for increasing access to AIS treatment. DATA ACCESS STATEMENT: Data used for this publication are available from the authors upon reasonable request.

Reperfusion therapy for acute ischemic stroke: where are we in 2023?

Over the last three decades, stroke care has undergone significant transformations mainly driven by the introduction of reperfusion therapy and the organization of systems of care. Patients receiving treatment through a well-structured stroke service have a much higher chance of favorable outcomes, thereby decreasing both disability and mortality. In this article, we reviewed the scientific evidence for stroke reperfusion therapy, including thrombolysis and thrombectomy, and its implementation in the public health system in Brazil.

Nas últimas três décadas, o tratamento do AVC sofreu transformações significativas, impulsionadas principalmente pela introdução das terapias de reperfusão e pela organização dos serviços de AVC. Os pacientes que recebem tratamento em um serviço de AVC bem estruturado têm uma probabilidade muito maior de resultados favoráveis, diminuindo assim a incapacidade funcional e a mortalidade. Neste artigo, revisamos as evidências científicas para as terapias de reperfusão do AVC, incluindo trombólise e trombectomia e sua implementação no sistema público de saúde no Brasil.

Reperfusion therapy for acute ischemic stroke: where are we in 2023? / Terapia de reperfusão para o acidente vascular isquêmico agudo: onde estamos em 2023?

Abstract Over the last three decades, stroke care has undergone significant transformations mainly driven by the introduction of reperfusion therapy and the organization of systems of care. Patients receiving treatment through a well-structured stroke service have a much higher chance of favorable outcomes, thereby decreasing both disability and mortality. In this article, we reviewed the scientific evidence for stroke reperfusion therapy, including thrombolysis and thrombectomy, and its implementation in the public health system in Brazil.

Resumo Nas últimas três décadas, o tratamento do AVC sofreu transformações significativas, impulsionadas principalmente pela introdução das terapias de reperfusão e pela organização dos serviços de AVC. Os pacientes que recebem tratamento em um serviço de AVC bem estruturado têm uma probabilidade muito maior de resultados favoráveis, diminuindo assim a incapacidade funcional e a mortalidade. Neste artigo, revisamos as evidências científicas para as terapias de reperfusão do AVC, incluindo trombólise e trombectomia e sua implementação no sistema público de saúde no Brasil.

Improving door-to-reperfusion time in acute ischemic stroke during the COVID-19 pandemic: experience from a public comprehensive stroke center in Brazil.

Background: The global COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on global health, resulting in a strain on healthcare services worldwide. The faster a patient with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) receives reperfusion treatment, the greater the odds of a good functional outcome. To maintain the time-dependent processes in acute stroke care, strategies to reorganize infrastructure and optimize human and medical resources were needed. Methods: Data from AIS patients who received thrombolytic therapy were prospectively assessed in the emergency department (ED) of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre from 2019 to 2021. Treatment times for each stage were measured, and the reasons for a delay in receiving thrombolytic therapy were evaluated. Results: A total of 256 patients received thrombolytic therapy during this period. Patients who arrived by the emergency medical service (EMS) had a lower median door-to-needle time (DNT). In the multivariable analysis, the independent predictors of DNT >60 min were previous atrial fibrillation (OR 7) and receiving thrombolysis in the ED (OR 9). The majority of patients had more than one reason for treatment delay. The main reasons were as follows: delay in starting the CT scan, delay in the decision-making process after the CT scan, and delay in reducing blood pressure. Several actions were implemented during the study period. The most important factor that contributed to a decrease in DNT was starting the bolus and continuous infusion of tPA on the CT scan table (decreased the median DNT from 74 to 52, DNT ≤ 60 min in 67% of patients treated at radiology service vs. 24% of patients treated in the ED). The DNT decreased from 78 min to 66 min in 2020 and 57 min in 2021 (p = 0.01). Conclusion: Acute stroke care continued to be a priority despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The implementation of a thrombolytic bolus and the start of continuous infusion on the CT scan table was the main factor that contributed to the reduction of DNT. Continuous monitoring of service times is essential for improving the quality of the stroke center and achieving better functional outcomes for patients.

FAST-ED scale for prehospital triage of large vessel occlusion: results in the field.

BACKGROUND: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is an extremely time-sensitive condition. The field triage of stroke patients should consider a careful balance between the best destination for the timely delivery of intravenous and/or endovascular reperfusion therapies. The Field Assessment Stroke Triage for Emergency Destination (FAST-ED) scale has been shown to have an accuracy comparable to that of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). However, it has not been tested in the field. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of the FAST-ED scale in the detection of AIS due to large vessel occlusion (LVO) in the prehospital setting. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of consecutive prospective data collected from February 2017 to May 2019 in the city of Porto Alegre, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil, correlating the prehospital FAST-ED scale scores with the hospital diagnosis of LVO. Area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated. RESULTS: In total, 74 patients were included in the analysis. As compared with the diagnosis of LVO upon hospital discharge, the prehospital FAST-ED scale applied by paramedics had a sensitivity of 80%, a specificity of 47.7%, a PPV of 51.1%, an NPV of 77.8%, and an AUC of 0.68 (95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 0.55-0.80). Among the patients with a final diagnosis of AIS, the accuracy was higher, with an AUC of 0.75 (95%CI: 0.60-0.89), a sensitivity of 80%, a specificity of 60%, a PPV of 80%, and an NPV of 60%. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, the FAST-ED scale, which was applied by paramedics in the field, demonstrated moderate accuracy but high sensitivity and NPV, which are essential attributes for a triage scale. While larger studies are still needed, these findings further support the use of the FAST-ED in stroke triage.

ANTECEDENTES: O acidente vascular cerebral isquêmico (AVCI) é uma doença altamente dependente do tempo. A triagem de pacientes com AVCI na cena deve considerar um equilíbrio cuidadoso entre o melhor destino para a administração rápida de terapias de reperfusão intravenosas e/ou endovasculares. Já foi demonstrado que a escala de Avaliação de campo de triagem de AVC para destino de emergência (Field Assessment Stroke Triage for Emergency Destination, FAST-ED, em inglês) tem precisão comparável à da Escala de AVC dos Institutos Nacionais de Saúde dos Estados Unidos (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, NIHSS, em inglês). Entretanto, a FAST-ED não foi testada em campo. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a acurácia da escala FAST-ED na detecção de AVCI por oclusão de grande vaso (OGV) no contexto pré-hospitalar. MéTODOS: Estudo transversal de dados prospectivos consecutivos, coletados de fevereiro de 2017 a maio de 2019, em Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, em que se correlacionam a pontuação pré-hospitalar na escala FAST-ED e o diagnóstico hospitalar de OGV. A área sob a curva (ASC), a sensibilidade, a especificidade, o valor preditivo positivo (VPP), e o valor preditivo negativo (VPN) foram calculados. RESULTADOS: Ao todo, 74 pacientes foram incluídos na análise. Comparada ao diagnóstico de OGV na alta hospitalar, a escala FAST-ED aplicada em campo por profissionais do pré-hospitalar teve sensibilidade de 80%, especificidade de 47,7%, VPP de 51,1%, VPN de 77,8%, e ASC de 0,68 (intervalo de confiança de 95% [IC95%]: 0,55­0,80). Entre pacientes com diagnóstico final de AVCI, a precisão foi mais alta, com ASC de 0,75 (IC95%: 0,60­0,89), sensibilidade de 80%, especificidade de 60%, VPP de 80%, e VPN de 60%. CONCLUSõES: Neste estudo, a escala FAST-ED, aplicada por profissionais do pré-hospitalar em campo, demonstrou precisão moderada, com alta sensibilidade e VPN, atributos essenciais para uma escala de triagem. Embora estudos com amostras maiores ainda sejam necessários, estes achados apoiam o uso da FAST-ED na triagem de AVCI.

Brazilian practice guidelines for stroke rehabilitation: Part II.

The Brazilian Practice Guidelines for Stroke Rehabilitation - Part II, developed by the Scientific Department of Neurological Rehabilitation of the Brazilian Academy of Neurology (Academia Brasileira de Neurologia, in Portuguese), focuses on specific rehabilitation techniques to aid recovery from impairment and disability after stroke. As in Part I, Part II is also based on recently available evidence from randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and other guidelines. Part II covers disorders of communication, dysphagia, postural control and balance, ataxias, spasticity, upper limb rehabilitation, gait, cognition, unilateral spatial neglect, sensory impairments, home rehabilitation, medication adherence, palliative care, cerebrovascular events related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the future of stroke rehabilitation, and stroke websites to support patients and caregivers. Our goal is to provide health professionals with more recent knowledge and recommendations for better rehabilitation care after stroke.

As Diretrizes Brasileiras de Reabilitação do Acidente Vascular Cerebral (AVC) - Parte II, desenvolvida pelo Departamento Científico de Reabilitação Neurológica da Academia Brasileira de Neurologia é voltada para intervenções específicas de técnicas de reabilitação de déficits neurológicos e incapacidades. Seguindo o mesmo modelo da Parte I, a Parte II também se baseia em estudos randomizados, revisões sistemáticas, metanálises e outras diretrizes sobre o mesmo tema. A segunda parte aborda os distúrbios da comunicação, disfagia, controle postural e equilíbrio, ataxias, espasticidade, reabilitação do membro superior, marcha, cognição, negligência espacial unilateral, déficits sensoriais, reabilitação domiciliar, aderência ao uso de medicamentos, cuidados paliativos, o futuro da reabilitação no AVC, e websites de orientação sobre AVC para pacientes e cuidadores. Nosso objetivo é fornecer aos profissionais envolvidos na reabilitação conhecimento atualizado e recomendações para um melhor cuidado no pós-AVC.

Incidence, lethality, and post-stroke functional status in different Brazilian macro-regions: The SAMBA study (analysis of stroke in multiple Brazilian areas).

Background: Stroke is the second leading cause of death in Brazil. The social and financial burden of stroke is remarkable; however, the epidemiological profile remains poorly understood. Objective: The aim of this study was to report the incidence, lethality, and functional status at 30 and 90 days post-stroke in the cities of different Brazilian macro-regions. Methods: This is an observational, prospective, and population-based study, led in Canoas (South), Joinville (South, reference center), Sertãozinho (Southeast), and Sobral (Northeast) in Brazil. It was developed according to the three-step criteria recommended by the World Health Organization to conduct population-based studies on stroke. Using different sources, all hospitalized and ambulatory patients with stroke were identified and the same criteria were kept in all cities. All first events were included, regardless of sex, age, or type of stroke. Demographic and risk factor data were collected, followed by biochemical, electrocardiographic, and radiological test results. Functional status and lethality were obtained using the mRankin scale through telephonic interview (validated Brazilian version). Results: In 1 year, 932 stroke cases were registered (784 ischemic stroke, 105 hemorrhagic stroke, and 43 subarachnoid hemorrhage). The incidence rates per 100,000 inhabitants, adjusted for the world population, were 63 in Canoas, 106 in Joinville, 72 in Sertãozinho, and 96 in Sobral. The majority (70.8%) were followed for 90 days. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that 90-day survival was different among cities. Sobral, which has the lowest socioeconomic indexes, revealed the worst results in terms of lethality and functional status. Conclusion: This study expands the knowledge of stroke epidemiology in Brazil, a middle-income country with enormous socioeconomic and cultural diversity. The discrepancy observed regarding the impact of stroke in patients from Joinville and Sobral highlights the need to improve the strategic allocation of resources to meet the health priorities in each location.

FAST-ED scale for prehospital triage of large vessel occlusion: results in the field / Escala FAST-ED para a triagem pré-hospitalar de oclusão de grande vaso: resultados de campo

Abstract Background Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is an extremely time-sensitive condition. The field triage of stroke patients should consider a careful balance between the best destination for the timely delivery of intravenous and/or endovascular reperfusion therapies. The Field Assessment Stroke Triage for Emergency Destination (FAST-ED) scale has been shown to have an accuracy comparable to that of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). However, it has not been tested in the field. Objective To evaluate the accuracy of the FAST-ED scale in the detection of AIS due to large vessel occlusion (LVO) in the prehospital setting. Methods A cross-sectional study of consecutive prospective data collected from February 2017 to May 2019 in the city of Porto Alegre, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil, correlating the prehospital FAST-ED scale scores with the hospital diagnosis of LVO. Area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated. Results In total, 74 patients were included in the analysis. As compared with the diagnosis of LVO upon hospital discharge, the prehospital FAST-ED scale applied by paramedics had a sensitivity of 80%, a specificity of 47.7%, a PPV of 51.1%, an NPV of 77.8%, and an AUC of 0.68 (95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 0.55-0.80). Among the patients with a final diagnosis of AIS, the accuracy was higher, with an AUC of 0.75 (95%CI: 0.60-0.89), a sensitivity of 80%, a specificity of 60%, a PPV of 80%, and an NPV of 60%. Conclusions In the present study, the FAST-ED scale, which was applied by paramedics in the field, demonstrated moderate accuracy but high sensitivity and NPV, which are essential attributes for a triage scale. While larger studies are still needed, these findings further support the use of the FAST-ED in stroke triage.

Resumo Antecedentes O acidente vascular cerebral isquêmico (AVCI) é uma doença altamente dependente do tempo. A triagem de pacientes com AVCI na cena deve considerar um equilíbrio cuidadoso entre o melhor destino para a administração rápida de terapias de reperfusão intravenosas e/ou endovasculares.Jáfoi demonstrado que a escala deAvaliação de campo de triagem de AVC para destino de emergência (Field Assessment Stroke Triage for Emergency Destination, FAST-ED, em inglês) tem precisão comparável à da Escala de AVC dos Institutos Nacionais de Saúde dos Estados Unidos (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, NIHSS, em inglês). Entretanto, a FAST-ED não foi testada em campo. Objetivo Avaliar a acurácia da escala FAST-ED na detecção de AVCI por oclusão de grande vaso (OGV) no contexto pré-hospitalar. Métodos Estudo transversal de dados prospectivos consecutivos, coletados de fevereiro de 2017 a maio de 2019, em Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, em que se correlacionam a pontuação pré-hospitalar na escala FAST-ED e o diagnóstico hospitalar de OGV. A área sob a curva (ASC), a sensibilidade, a especificidade, o valor preditivo positivo (VPP), e o valor preditivo negativo (VPN) foram calculados. Resultados Ao todo, 74 pacientes foram incluídosnaanálise. Comparada aodiagnóstico de OGV na alta hospitalar, a escala FAST-ED aplicada em campo por profissionais do préhospitalar teve sensibilidadede80%, especificidadede47,7%, VPPde51,1%, VPN de 77,8%, e ASC de 0,68 (intervalo de confiança de 95% [IC95%]: 0,55-0,80). Entre pacientes com diagnóstico final de AVCI, a precisão foi mais alta, com ASC de 0,75 (IC95%: 0,60-0,89), sensibilidade de 80%, especificidade de 60%, VPP de 80%, e VPN de 60%. Conclusões Neste estudo, a escala FAST-ED, aplicada por profissionais do pré-hospitalar em campo, demonstrou precisão moderada, com alta sensibilidade e VPN, atributos essenciaispara umaescaladetriagem.Embora estudoscomamostras maiores ainda sejam necessários, estes achados apoiam o uso da FAST-ED na triagem de AVCI.

Brazilian Academy of Neurology practice guidelines for stroke rehabilitation: part I.

The Guidelines for Stroke Rehabilitation are the result of a joint effort by the Scientific Department of Neurological Rehabilitation of the Brazilian Academy of Neurology aiming to guide professionals involved in the rehabilitation process to reduce functional disability and increase individual autonomy. Members of the group participated in web discussion forums with predefined themes, followed by videoconference meetings in which issues were discussed, leading to a consensus. These guidelines, divided into two parts, focus on the implications of recent clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses in stroke rehabilitation literature. The main objective was to guide physicians, physiotherapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, nutritionists, and other professionals involved in post-stroke care. Recommendations and levels of evidence were adapted according to the currently available literature. Part I discusses topics on rehabilitation in the acute phase, as well as prevention and management of frequent conditions and comorbidities after stroke.

Moving the Brazilian ischaemic stroke pathway to a value-based care: introduction of a risk-adjusted cost estimate model for stroke treatment.

The unsustainable increases in healthcare expenses and waste have motivated the migration of reimbursement strategies from volume to value. Value-based healthcare requires detailed comprehension of cost information at the patient level. This study introduces a clinical risk- and outcome-adjusted cost estimate model for stroke care sustained on time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC). In a cohort and multicentre study, a TDABC tool was developed to evaluate the costs per stroke patient, allowing us to identify and describe differences in cost by clinical risk at hospital arrival, treatment strategies and modified Rankin Score (mRS) at discharge. The clinical risk was confirmed by multivariate analysis and considered patients' National Institute for Health Stroke Scale and age. Descriptive cost analyses were conducted, followed by univariate and multivariate models to evaluate the risk levels, therapies and mRS stratification effect in costs. Then, the risk-adjusted cost estimate model for ischaemic stroke treatment was introduced. All the hospitals collected routine prospective data from consecutive patients admitted with ischaemic stroke diagnosis confirmed. A total of 822 patients were included. The median cost was I$2210 (interquartile range: I$1163-4504). Fifty percent of the patients registered a favourable outcome mRS (0-2), costing less at all risk levels, while patients with the worst mRS (5-6) registered higher costs. Those undergoing mechanical thrombectomy had an incremental cost for all three risk levels, but this difference was lower for high-risk patients. Estimated costs were compared to observed costs per risk group, and there were no significant differences in most groups, validating the risk and outcome-adjusted cost estimate model. By introducing a risk-adjusted cost estimate model, this study elucidates how healthcare delivery systems can generate local cost information to support value-based reimbursement strategies employing the data collection instruments and analysis developed in this study.

Brazilian practice guidelines for stroke rehabilitation: part II / Diretrizes brasileiras para reabilitação no acidente vascular cerebral: parte II

Abstract The Brazilian Practice Guidelines for Stroke Rehabilitation - Part II, developed by the Scientific Department of Neurological Rehabilitation of the Brazilian Academy of Neurology (Academia Brasileira de Neurologia, in Portuguese), focuses on specific rehabilitation techniques to aid recovery from impairment and disability after stroke. As in Part I, Part II is also based on recently available evidence from randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and other guidelines. Part II covers disorders of communication, dysphagia, postural control and balance, ataxias, spasticity, upper limb rehabilitation, gait, cognition, unilateral spatial neglect, sensory impairments, home rehabilitation, medication adherence, palliative care, cerebrovascular events related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the future of stroke rehabilitation, and stroke websites to support patients and caregivers. Our goal is to provide health professionals with more recent knowledge and recommendations for better rehabilitation care after stroke.

Resumo As Diretrizes Brasileiras de Reabilitação do Acidente Vascular Cerebral (AVC) - Parte II, desenvolvida pelo Departamento Científico de Reabilitação Neurológica da Academia Brasileira de Neurologia é voltada para intervenções específicas de técnicas de reabilitação de déficits neurológicos e incapacidades. Seguindo o mesmo modelo da Parte I, a Parte II também se baseia em estudos randomizados, revisões sistemáticas, metanálises e outras diretrizes sobre o mesmo tema. A segunda parte aborda os distúrbios da comunicação, disfagia, controle postural e equilíbrio, ataxias, espasticidade, reabilitação do membro superior, marcha, cognição, negligência espacial unilateral, déficits sensoriais, reabilitação domiciliar, aderênciaao usode medicamentos, cuidados paliativos,ofuturodareabilitação no AVC, e websites de orientação sobre AVC para pacientes e cuidadores. Nosso objetivo é fornecer aos profissionais envolvidos na reabilitação conhecimento atualizado e recomendações para um melhor cuidado no pós-AVC.

Brazilian Academy of Neurology practice guidelines for stroke rehabilitation: part I / Diretrizes da Academia Brasileira de Neurologia para reabilitação do acidente vascular cerebral: parte I

ABSTRACT The Guidelines for Stroke Rehabilitation are the result of a joint effort by the Scientific Department of Neurological Rehabilitation of the Brazilian Academy of Neurology aiming to guide professionals involved in the rehabilitation process to reduce functional disability and increase individual autonomy. Members of the group participated in web discussion forums with predefined themes, followed by videoconference meetings in which issues were discussed, leading to a consensus. These guidelines, divided into two parts, focus on the implications of recent clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses in stroke rehabilitation literature. The main objective was to guide physicians, physiotherapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, nutritionists, and other professionals involved in post-stroke care. Recommendations and levels of evidence were adapted according to the currently available literature. Part I discusses topics on rehabilitation in the acute phase, as well as prevention and management of frequent conditions and comorbidities after stroke.

RESUMO As Diretrizes Brasileiras para Reabilitação do AVC são fruto de um esforço conjunto do Departamento Científico de Reabilitação Neurológica da Academia Brasileira de Neurologia com o objetivo de orientar os profissionais envolvidos no processo de reabilitação para a redução da incapacidade funcional e aumento da autonomia dos indivíduos. Membros do grupo acima participaram de fóruns de discussão na web com pré-temas, seguidos de reuniões por videoconferência em que as controvérsias foram discutidas, levando a um consenso. Essas diretrizes, divididas em duas partes, focam as implicações de recentes ensaios clínicos, revisões sistemáticas e metanálises sobre reabilitação do AVC. O objetivo principal é servir de orientação a médicos, fisioterapeutas, fonoaudiólogos, terapeutas ocupacionais, enfermeiros, nutricionistas e demais profissionais envolvidos no cuidado pós-AVC. As recomendações e níveis de evidência foram adaptados de acordo com a literatura disponível atualmente. Aqui é apresentada a Parte I sobre tópicos de reabilitação na fase aguda, prevenção e tratamento de doenças e comorbidades frequentes após o AVC.

Disparities in Stroke Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Between Healthcare Systems in Brazil.

Introduction: Acute stroke interventions, such as stroke units and reperfusion therapy, have the potential to improve outcomes. However, there are many disparities in patient characteristics and access to the best stroke care. Thus, we aim to compare patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) after stroke in two stroke centers representing the public and private healthcare systems in Brazil. Methods: PROMs through the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measures (ICHOM) were assessed at 90 days after the stroke to compare two Brazilian hospitals in southern Brazil: a public university and a private stroke center, both with stroke protocols and stroke units. Results: When compared with the private setting (n = 165), patients from the public hospital (n = 175) were younger, had poorer control of risk factors, had more frequent previous strokes, and arrived with more severe strokes. Both hospitals had a similar percentage of IV thrombolysis treatment. Only 5 patients received mechanical thrombectomy (MT), all in the private hospital. Public hospital patients presented significantly worse outcomes at 3 months, including worse quality of life and functional dependence (60 vs. 48%, p = 0.03). Poor outcome, as measured by the mRS score, was significantly associated with older age, higher NIHSS score, and the presence of heart failure. However, the public practice was a strong predictor of any self-reported disability. Conclusion: Patients assisted at a good quality public stroke center with the same protocol used in the private hospital presented worse disability as measured by mRS and patient-reported outcome measures, with greater inability to communicate, dress, toilet, feed, and walk.

Regional and national differences in stroke thrombolysis use and disparities in pricing, treatment availability, and coverage.

BACKGROUND: Major disparities have been reported in recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) availability among countries of different socioeconomic status. AIMS: To characterize variability of rtPA price, its availability, and its association with and impact on each country's health expenditure (HE) resources. METHODS: We conducted a global survey to obtain information on rtPA price (50 mg vial, 2020 US Dollars) and availability. Country-specific data, including low, lower middle (LMIC), upper middle (UMIC), and high-income country (HIC) classifications, and gross domestic product (GDP) and HE, both nominally and adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP), were obtained from World Bank Open Data. To assess the impact of rtPA cost, we computed the rtPA price as percentage of per capita GDP and HE and examined its association with the country income classification. RESULTS: rtPA is approved and available in 109 countries. We received surveys from 59 countries: 27 (46%) HIC, 20 (34%) UMIC, and 12 (20%) LMIC. Although HIC have significantly higher per capita GDP and HE compared to UMIC and LMIC (p < 0.0001), the median price of rtPA is non-significantly higher in LMICs (USD 755, interquartile range, IQR (575-1300)) compared to UMICs (USD 544, IQR (400-815)) and HICs (USD 600, IQR (526-1000)). In LMIC, rtPA cost accounts for 217.4% (IQR, 27.1-340.6%) of PPP-adjusted per capita HE, compared to 17.6% (IQR (11.2-28.7%), p < 0.0001) for HICs. CONCLUSION: We documented significant variability in rtPA availability and price among countries. Relative costs are higher in lower income countries, exceeding the available HE. Concerted efforts to improve rtPA affordability in low-income settings are necessary.

Stroke Outcome Measurements From Electronic Medical Records: Cross-sectional Study on the Effectiveness of Neural and Nonneural Classifiers.

BACKGROUND: With the rapid adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs), there is an ever-increasing opportunity to collect data and extract knowledge from EMRs to support patient-centered stroke management. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to compare the effectiveness of state-of-the-art automatic text classification methods in classifying data to support the prediction of clinical patient outcomes and the extraction of patient characteristics from EMRs. METHODS: Our study addressed the computational problems of information extraction and automatic text classification. We identified essential tasks to be considered in an ischemic stroke value-based program. The 30 selected tasks were classified (manually labeled by specialists) according to the following value agenda: tier 1 (achieved health care status), tier 2 (recovery process), care related (clinical management and risk scores), and baseline characteristics. The analyzed data set was retrospectively extracted from the EMRs of patients with stroke from a private Brazilian hospital between 2018 and 2019. A total of 44,206 sentences from free-text medical records in Portuguese were used to train and develop 10 supervised computational machine learning methods, including state-of-the-art neural and nonneural methods, along with ontological rules. As an experimental protocol, we used a 5-fold cross-validation procedure repeated 6 times, along with subject-wise sampling. A heatmap was used to display comparative result analyses according to the best algorithmic effectiveness (F1 score), supported by statistical significance tests. A feature importance analysis was conducted to provide insights into the results. RESULTS: The top-performing models were support vector machines trained with lexical and semantic textual features, showing the importance of dealing with noise in EMR textual representations. The support vector machine models produced statistically superior results in 71% (17/24) of tasks, with an F1 score >80% regarding care-related tasks (patient treatment location, fall risk, thrombolytic therapy, and pressure ulcer risk), the process of recovery (ability to feed orally or ambulate and communicate), health care status achieved (mortality), and baseline characteristics (diabetes, obesity, dyslipidemia, and smoking status). Neural methods were largely outperformed by more traditional nonneural methods, given the characteristics of the data set. Ontological rules were also effective in tasks such as baseline characteristics (alcoholism, atrial fibrillation, and coronary artery disease) and the Rankin scale. The complementarity in effectiveness among models suggests that a combination of models could enhance the results and cover more tasks in the future. CONCLUSIONS: Advances in information technology capacity are essential for scalability and agility in measuring health status outcomes. This study allowed us to measure effectiveness and identify opportunities for automating the classification of outcomes of specific tasks related to clinical conditions of stroke victims, and thus ultimately assess the possibility of proactively using these machine learning techniques in real-world situations.

Cost-effectiveness of mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke in Brazil: Results from the RESILIENT trial.

BACKGROUND: The RESILIENT trial demonstrated the clinical benefit of mechanical thrombectomy in patients presenting acute ischemic stroke secondary to anterior circulation large vessel occlusion in Brazil. AIMS: This economic evaluation aims to assess the cost-utility of mechanical thrombectomy in the RESILIENT trial from a public healthcare perspective. METHODS: A cost-utility analysis was applied to compare mechanical thrombectomy plus standard medical care (n = 78) vs. standard medical care alone (n = 73), from a subset sample of the RESILIENT trial (151 of 221 patients). Real-world direct costs were considered, and utilities were imputed according to the Utility-Weighted modified Rankin Score. A Markov model was structured, and probabilistic and deterministic sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the robustness of results. RESULTS: The incremental costs and quality-adjusted life years gained with mechanical thrombectomy plus standard medical care were estimated at Int$ 7440 and 1.04, respectively, compared to standard medical care alone, yielding an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of Int$ 7153 per quality-adjusted life year. The deterministic sensitivity analysis demonstrated that mRS-6 costs of the first year most affected the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. After 1000 simulations, most of results were below the cost-effective threshold. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention's clear long-term benefits offset the initially higher costs of mechanical thrombectomy in the Brazilian public healthcare system. Such therapy is likely to be cost-effective and these results were crucial to incorporate mechanical thrombectomy in the Brazilian public stroke centers.

Fighting Against Stroke in Latin America: A Joint Effort of Medical Professional Societies and Governments.

Introduction: Stroke is one of the leading causes of death in Latin America, a region with countless gaps to be addressed to decrease its burden. In 2018, at the first Latin American Stroke Ministerial Meeting, stroke physician and healthcare manager representatives from 13 countries signed the Declaration of Gramado with the priorities to improve the region, with the commitment to implement all evidence-based strategies for stroke care. The second meeting in March 2020 reviewed the achievements in 2 years and discussed new objectives. This paper will review the 2-year advances and future plans of the Latin American alliance for stroke. Method: In March 2020, a survey based on the Declaration of Gramado items was sent to the neurologists participants of the Stroke Ministerial Meetings. The results were confirmed with representatives of the Ministries of Health and leaders from the countries at the second Latin American Stroke Ministerial Meeting. Results: In 2 years, public stroke awareness initiatives increased from 25 to 75% of countries. All countries have started programs to encourage physical activity, and there has been an increase in the number of countries that implement, at least partially, strategies to identify and treat hypertension, diabetes, and lifestyle risk factors. Programs to identify and treat dyslipidemia and atrial fibrillation still remained poor. The number of stroke centers increased from 322 to 448, all of them providing intravenous thrombolysis, with an increase in countries with stroke units. All countries have mechanical thrombectomy, but mostly restricted to a few private hospitals. Pre-hospital organization remains limited. The utilization of telemedicine has increased but is restricted to a few hospitals and is not widely available throughout the country. Patients have late, if any, access to rehabilitation after hospital discharge. Conclusion: The initiative to collaborate, exchange experiences, and unite societies and governments to improve stroke care in Latin America has yielded good results. Important advances have been made in the region in terms of increasing the number of acute stroke care services, implementing reperfusion treatments and creating programs for the detection and treatment of risk factors. We hope that this approach can reduce inequalities in stroke care in Latin America and serves as a model for other under-resourced environments.