Evaluation of a prehospital endovascular therapy stroke bypass program.

INTRODUCTION: Prehospital stroke endovascular therapy bypass transports patients with suspected large vessel occlusion directly to an endovascular therapy capable center. Our objective was to determine if an endovascular therapy bypass protocol improved access to stroke treatments. Secondary objectives were to determine safety, effectiveness, and rate of subsequent interfacility transfers. METHODS: Endovascular therapy bypass in 2018 was implemented in Eastern Ontario, for patients with a Los-Angeles-Motor-Scale ≥ 4 (positive large vessel occlusion screen) with a 90-min transport time if < 6 h from last seen well. A before-after health record review was conducted from Dec 1, 2017 to Nov 30, 2019. A piloted data form was used to extract demographics, times, primary outcomes (endovascular therapy and intravenous (IV) tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) rate), and secondary outcomes (redirect to closer hospital, airway intervention, and subsequent interfacility transfer). We present descriptive statistics and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) from multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: We included 379 stroke patients (165 pre and 214 post-implementation). The endovascular therapy rate between groups was similar (14.1% vs 15.1%). The bypass had an OR of 0.98 (95% CI 0.54-1.78) for receiving endovascular therapy. IV tPA was given to 25.4% of patients pre vs 27.4% post-implementation (OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.65-1.74). No patients became unstable during transport, only one patient had an intubation attempt. The inappropriate bypass (false positive) rate was 12.7% pre vs 12.8% post-implementation (positive predictive value 87%). The bypass protocol had an OR of 1.06 (95% CI 0.58-1.95) for subsequent interfacility transfer with a mean of 2.7 h at the community site before transfer. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular therapy stroke bypass with 90-min transport radius and Los-Angeles-Motor-Scale ≥ 4 was safe and well executed by paramedics. Our study did not show any difference in endovascular therapy rate from its implementation. The IV tPA rate was similar between groups despite potentially bypassing thrombolysis capable centers.

ABSTRAIT: INTRODUCTION: Le pontage de la thérapie endovasculaire pré-hospitalière transporte les patients présentant une occlusion suspectée de gros vaisseaux directement vers un centre capable de thérapie endovasculaire. Notre objectif était de déterminer si un protocole de pontage endovasculaire améliore l'accès aux traitements d'AVC. Les objectifs secondaires étaient de déterminer l'innocuité, l'efficacité et le taux des transferts d'interfacilité subséquents. MéTHODES: Le pontage par thérapie endovasculaire en 2018 a été mis en œuvre dans l'Est de l'Ontario, pour les patients ayant un test Los-Angeles-Motor-Scale 4 (test positif d'occlusion des gros vaisseaux) avec un temps de transport de 90 minutes si < 6 heures après la dernière observation. Un examen du dossier de santé avant-après a été effectué du 1er décembre 2017 au 30 novembre 2019. Un formulaire de données pilote a été utilisé pour extraire les données démographiques, les heures, les résultats primaires (traitement endovasculaire et taux d'activation du plasminogène par voie intraveineuse (IV) et les résultats secondaires (réorientation vers un hôpital plus proche, intervention sur les voies respiratoires et transfert d'interfacilité subséquent). Nous présentons des statistiques descriptives et des rapports de cotes (RC) avec des intervalles de confiance (IC) à 95 % à partir d'une régression logistique multivariée. RéSULTATS: Nous avons inclus 379 AVC (165 avant et 214 après la mise en œuvre). Le taux de traitement endovasculaire entre les groupes était similaire (14,1 % vs 15,1 %). Le pontage avait un RC de 0,98 (IC à 95 %, 0,54-1,78) pour le traitement endovasculaire. Le tPA IV a été administré à 25,4% des patients avant vs 27,4% après la mise en œuvre (OR 1,06, 95%CI 0,65-1,74). Aucun patient n'est devenu instable pendant le transport, seulement 1 patient a eu une tentative d'intubation. Le taux de pontage inapproprié (faux positif) était de 12,7 % avant et de 12,8 % après la mise en œuvre (valeur prédictive positive de 87 %). Le protocole de contournement avait un RC de 1,06 (IC à 95 % 0,58-1,95) pour le transfert d'interfacilité ultérieur avec une moyenne de 2,7 heures sur le site de la communauté avant le transfert. CONCLUSIONS: Le pontage d'AVC de thérapie endovasculaire avec un rayon de transport de 90 minutes et Los-Angeles-Motor-Scale 4 était sûr et bien exécuté par les ambulanciers. Notre étude n'a montré aucune différence dans le taux de thérapie endovasculaire par rapport à sa mise en œuvre. Le taux de tPA IV était similaire entre les groupes malgré le fait que les centres capables de contourner la thrombolyse étaient potentiellement contournés.

Safety and clinically important events in PCP-initiated STEMI bypass in Ottawa.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine what clinically important events occur in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients transported for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) via a primary care paramedic (PCP) crew, and what proportion of such events could only be treated by advanced care paramedic (ACP) protocols. METHODS: We conducted a health record review of STEMI transports by PCP-only crews and those transferred from PCP to ACP crews (ACP-intercept) from 2011 to 2015. A piloted data collection form was used to extract clinically important events, interventions during transport, and mortality. RESULTS: We identified 214 STEMI bypass cases (118 PCP-only and 96 ACP-intercept). Characteristics were mean age 61.4 years; 44.4% inferior infarcts; mean response time 6 minutes, 19 seconds; total paramedic contact time 29 minutes, 40 seconds; and, in cases of ACP-intercept, 7 minutes, 46 seconds of PCP-only contact time. A clinically important event occurred in 127 (59.3%) of cases: SBP < 90 mm Hg (26.2%), HR < 60 (30.4%), HR > 100 (20.6%), arrhythmias 7.5%, altered mental status 6.5%, airway intervention 2.3%. Two patients (0.9%) arrested, both survived. Of the events identified, 42.5% could be addressed differently by ACP protocols. The majority related to fluid boluses for hypotension (34.6%). In the ACP-intercept group, ACPs acted on 51.6% of events. There were six (2.8%) in-hospital deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Although clinically important events are common in STEMI bypass patients, a smaller proportion of events would be addressed differently by ACP compared with PCP protocols. The majority of clinically important events were transient and of limited clinical significance. PCP-only crews can safely transport STEMI patients directly to primary PCI.

Chronic smoke exposure induces rheumatoid factor and anti-heat shock protein 70 autoantibodies in susceptible mice and humans with lung disease.

The impact of cigarette smoke (CS), a risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), on sauto-antibody production was studied in humans and mice with and without chronic lung disease (LD). Rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides (CCPs), and anti-HSP70 autoantibodies were measured in several mouse strains and in cohorts of smokers and nonsmokers with and without autoimmune disease. Chronic smoking-induced RFs in AKR/J mice, which are most susceptible to LD. RFs were identified in human smokers, preferentially in those with LD. Anti-HSP70 auto-antibodies were identified in CS-exposed AKR/J mice but not in ambient air exposed AKR/J controls. Whereas inflammation could induce anti-HSP70 IgM, smoke exposure promoted the switch to anti-HSP70 IgG autoantibodies. Elevated anti-CCP autoantibodies were not detected in CS-exposed mice or smokers. AKR/J splenocytes stimulated in vitro by immune complexes (ICs) of HSP70/anti-HSP70 antibodies produced RFs. The CD91 scavenger pathway was required as anti-CD91 blocked the HSP70-IC-induced RF response. Blocking Toll-like receptors did not influence the HSP70-IC-induced RFs. These studies identify both anti-HSP70 and RFs as serological markers of smoke-related LD in humans and mice. Identification of these autoantibodies could suggest a common environmental insult, namely CS, in a number of different disease settings.