Decrease in Hospital Admissions for Transient Ischemic Attack, Mild, and Moderate Stroke During the COVID-19 Era.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Since the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, doctors and public authorities have demonstrated concern about the reduction in quality of care for other health conditions due to social restrictions and lack of resources. Using a population-based stroke registry, we investigated the impact of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in stroke admissions in Joinville, Brazil. METHODS: Patients admitted after the onset of COVID-19 restrictions in the city (defined as March 17, 2020) were compared with those admitted in 2019. We analyzed differences between stroke incidence, types, severity, reperfusion therapies, and time from stroke onset to admission. Statistical tests were also performed to compare the 30 days before and after COVID-19 to the same period in 2019. RESULTS: We observed a decrease in total stroke admissions from an average of 12.9/100 000 per month in 2019 to 8.3 after COVID-19 (P=0.0029). When compared with the same period in 2019, there was a 36.4% reduction in stroke admissions. There was no difference in admissions for severe stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score >8), intraparenchymal hemorrhage, and subarachnoid hemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS: The onset of COVID-19 was correlated with a reduction in admissions for transient, mild, and moderate strokes. Given the need to prevent the worsening of symptoms and the occurrence of medical complications in these groups, a reorganization of the stroke-care networks is necessary to reduce collateral damage caused by COVID-19.

Ischemic stroke: Process perspective, clinical and profile characteristics, and external factors.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a method of analysis for understanding the health care process, enriched with information on the clinical and profile characteristics of the patients. To apply the proposed technique to analyze an ischemic stroke dataset. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed 4,830 electronic health records (EHRs) from patients with ischemic stroke (2010-2017), containing information about events realized during treatment and clinical and profile information of the patients. The proposed method combined process mining techniques with data analysis, grouping the data by primary care units (PCU - units responsible for the primary care of patients residing in a geographical area). RESULTS: A novel method, named process, data, and management (PDM) analysis method was used for ischemic stroke data and it provided the following outcomes: health care process for patients with ischemic stroke with time statistics; analysis of potential factors for slow hospital admission indicating an increase in the time to hospital admission of 3.4 h (mean value) for patients with an origin at the urgent care center (UCC) - 30% of patients; analysis of PCUs with distinct secondary stroke rates indicating that the social class of patients is the main difference between them; and the visualization of risk factors (before the stroke) by the PCU to inform the health manager about the potential of prevention. DISCUSSION: PDM analysis describes a step-by-step method for combining process analysis with data analysis considering a management focus. The results obtained on the stroke context can support the definition of more refined action plans by the health manager, improving the stroke health care process and preventing new events. CONCLUSION: When a patient is diagnosed with ischemic stroke, immediate treatment is needed. Moreover, it is possible to prevent new events to some degree by monitoring and treating risk factors. PDM analysis provides an overview of the health care process with time, combining elements that affect the treatment flow and factors, which can indicate a potential for preventing new events. We also can apply PDM analysis in different scenarios, when there is information about activities from treatment flow and other characteristics related to the treatment or the prevention of the analyzed disease. The management focus of the results aids in the formulation of service policies, action plans, and resource allocation.

Trends of Stroke Incidence from 1995 to 2013 in Joinville, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Temporal trends on the incidence of stroke and its subtypes could help assess on-going public health policies and point to further targets for action among middle- and low-income countries, where the stroke burden is very high. This study aimed at evaluating longitudinal trends of stroke incidence in Joinville, Brazil. METHODS: We ascertained the incidence of all first-ever strokes occurred in 1995, 2005-2006 and 2012-2013, which were extracted from Joinville Stroke Registry, a prospective epidemiological data bank, launched in 1995. RESULTS: From 1995 to 2013, the age-adjusted incidence of all strokes decreased 37% (95% CI 32-42). From 2005 to 2013, the haemorrhagic stroke (HS) incidence decreased 60% (95% CI 13-86), ischemic stroke (IS) incidence decreased 15% (95% CI 1-28), and subarachnoid haemorrhage incidence remained stable. The proportion of IS and HS patients with regularly treated hypertension increased by 60% (p = 0.01) and 33% (p = 0.01), respectively. The proportion of IS and HS patients that quit smoking increased 8% (p = 0.03) and 17% (p = 0.03), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Stroke incidence has been decreasing in Joinville over the last 18 years, more so for HS than IS. Better control of hypertension and tobacco use might explain these findings.

Real-World Populational-Based Quality of Life and Functional Status After Stroke.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to describe health-related quality of life (HRQoL) 3 months and 1 year after stroke, compare HRQoL between dependent (modified Rankin scale [mRS] 3-5) and independent (mRS 0-2) patients, and identify factors predictive of poor HRQoL. METHODS: Patients with a first ischemic stroke or intraparenchymal hemorrhage from the Joinville Stroke Registry were analyzed retrospectively. Using the 5-level version of the EuroQol-5D questionnaire, HRQoL was calculated for all patients 3 months and 1 year after stroke, stratified by mRS score (0-2 or 3-5). One-year HRQoL predictors were examined using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Three months after a stroke, data from 884 patients were analyzed; 72.8% were categorized as mRS 0-2 and 27.2% as mRS 3-5, and the mean HRQoL was 0.670 ± 0.256. At 1-year follow-up, 705 patients were evaluated; 75% were classified as mRS 0-2 and 25% as mRS 3-5, and the mean HRQoL was 0.71 ± 0.249. An increase in HRQoL was observed between 3 months and 1 year (mean difference 0.024, P < .0001), both in patients with 3-month mRS 0-2 (0.013, P = .027) and mRS 3-5 (0.052, P < .0001). Increasing age, female sex, hypertension, diabetes, and a high mRS were associated with poor HRQoL at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: This study described the HRQoL after a stroke in a Brazilian population. This analysis shows that the mRS was highly associated with HRQoL after stroke. Age, sex, diabetes, and hypertension were also associated with HRQoL, although not independently of mRS.

Transient ischemic attack incidence in joinville, Brazil, 2010: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There are scarce data on transient ischemic attack incidence in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to measure transient ischemic attack incidence and the distribution of the ABCD2 risk score in Joinville, Brazil. METHODS: In 2009 to 2010, using a multiple overlapping sources, we ascertained all first ever probable and definite transient ischemic attacks. RESULTS: We recorded 74 definite and probable transient ischemic attacks. The crude incidence was 15 (12-18) per 100 000 population. Age adjusted to European population the incidence was 28 (22-35). One fourth was in the higher risk of stroke by the ABCD2 scale. CONCLUSIONS: The transient ischemic attack incidence in Joinville, Brazil, is lower than other well-designed studies. New studies could clarify whether the measured rates were due to underascertainment or reflect a truly low incidence.

Decision-Making Support in Stroke Diagnosis Process: An Approach Based on the PROMETHEE Method and Decision Model Notation.

Decision-making in the field of healthcare is a very complex activity. Several tools have been developed to support the decision-making process. DMN, a modeling technique focused on decisions, is among these and has been gaining prominence in both, literature and business, as has the multi-criteria method PROMETHEE II that helps decision-makers with multi-criteria in analyses. Thus, this research targets combining these two techniques and analyzing the decision support that these two tools afford together. The diagnostic stage of stroke patients was used to perform this work. The research demonstrated that this proposal can drive major gains in efficiency and assertiveness in decision-making in time-sensitive hospital processes. After all, there is a noticeable dearth of hospitals with specialized teams as well as a shortfall of adequate infrastructure for this treatment.

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.

Incidence and mortality of ischemic stroke subtypes in Joinville, Brazil: a population-based study.

AIMS: To measure the incidence and mortality rates of ischemic stroke (IS) subtypes in Joinville, Brazil. METHODS: All first-ever IS patients that occurred in Joinville from January 2005 to December 2006 were identified. The IS subtypes were classified by the TOAST criteria, and the patients were followed-up for one year after IS onset. RESULTS: The age-adjusted incidence per 100,000 inhabitants was 26 (17-39) for large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA), 17 (11-27) for cardioembolic (CE), 29 (20-41) for small vessel occlusion (SVO), 2 (0.6-7) for stroke of other determined etiology (OTH) and 30 (20-43) for stroke of undetermined etiology (UND). The 1-year mortality rate per 100,000 inhabitants was 5 (2-11) for LAA, 6 (3-13) for CE, 1 (0.1-6) for SVO, 0.2 (0-0.9) for OTH and 9 (4-17) for UND. CONCLUSION: In the population of Joinville, the incidences of IS subtypes were similar to those found in other populations. These findings highlight the importance of better detection and control of atherosclerotic risk factors.

Trends of the Incidence of Ischemic Stroke Thrombolysis over Seven Years and One-Year Outcome: A Population-Based Study in Joinville, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: In a population-based setting, we aimed to measure the incidence trends of ischemic stroke (IS) thrombolysis, thrombolysis times, proportion of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH), 30-day case fatality and functional outcomes. We also compared the 12-month functional status between thrombolyzed and nonthrombolyzed patients. METHODS: Using data from the Joinville Population-Based Stroke Registry, we prospectively ascertained a cohort of all thrombolyses done in Joinville citizens, Southern Brazil, from 2005 to 2011. For the definition of sICH we used European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study (ECASS) II criteria. RESULTS: Over 7 years, 6% (220/3,552) of all IS were thrombolyzed. The thrombolysis incidence increased from 1.4 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.6-2.9] in 2005 to 9.8 (7.3-12.9) per 100,000 population in 2011 (p < 0.0001). The thrombolysis incidence age-adjusted to the world population in 2011 was 11 (8.2-14.3) per 100,000. Only 30% (50/165) were thrombolyzed within 1 h of arrival at hospital. In 7 days, 6.4% (14/220) had sICH and 57% (8/14) of those died. In the 2009-2011 period, a favorable functional outcome [modified Rankin scale (mRS) 0-1] at 12 months among patients who received thrombolysis was more frequent [mRS 0-1; 36% (38/107)] than among patients who did not receive thrombolysis [mRS 0-1; 24% (131/544); p = 0.016]. The logistic regression showed that thrombolyzed IS patients had a more favorable outcome (mRS 0-1; HR 2.13; 95% CI, 1.2-3.7; p < 0.016) than nonthrombolyzed patients. CONCLUSION: In a population setting of a middle income country, the thrombolysis incidence and outcomes were similar to those of other well-structured services. After 1 year, patients thrombolyzed in the 4.5-hour time window had a better outcome. More than proportions, rates provide additional information and could be used to benchmark services against others.

Brazilian guidelines for the application of transcranial ultrasound as a diagnostic test for the confirmation of brain death.

Neurosonological studies, specifically transcranial Doppler (TCD) and transcranial color-coded duplex (TCCD), have high level of specificity and sensitivity and they are used as complementary tests for the diagnosis of brain death (BD). A group of experts, from the Neurosonology Department of the Brazilian Academy of Neurology, created a task force to determine the criteria for the following aspects of diagnosing BD in Brazil: the reliability of TCD methodology; the reliability of TCCD methodology; neurosonology training and skills; the diagnosis of encephalic circulatory arrest; and exam documentation for BD. The results of this meeting are presented in the current paper.

Incidence and mortality of ischemic stroke subtypes in Joinville, Brazil: a population-based study / Incidência e mortalidade dos subtipos de AVCi em Joinville, Brasil: um estudo de base populacional

Aims To measure the incidence and mortality rates of ischemic stroke (IS) subtypes in Joinville, Brazil. Methods All first-ever IS patients that occurred in Joinville from January 2005 to December 2006 were identified. The IS subtypes were classified by the TOAST criteria, and the patients were followed-up for one year after IS onset. Results The age-adjusted incidence per 100,000 inhabitants was 26 (17-39) for large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA), 17 (11-27) for cardioembolic (CE), 29 (20-41) for small vessel occlusion (SVO), 2 (0.6-7) for stroke of other determined etiology (OTH) and 30 (20-43) for stroke of undetermined etiology (UND). The 1-year mortality rate per 100,000 inhabitants was 5 (2-11) for LAA, 6 (3-13) for CE, 1 (0.1-6) for SVO, 0.2 (0-0.9) for OTH and 9 (4-17) for UND. Conclusion In the population of Joinville, the incidences of IS subtypes were similar to those found in other populations. These findings highlight the importance of better detection and control of atherosclerotic risk factors. .

Objetivos Avaliar as incidências e as taxas de mortalidade dos subtipos de acidente vascular cerebral (AVC) isquêmico em Joinville, Brasil. Métodos A partir do Registro de AVC de Joinville, um banco de dados de base populacional em curso, foram identificados todos os primeiros eventos de AVC isquêmico que ocorreram em Joinville entre janeiro de 2005 e dezembro de 2006. Os subtipos foram classificados pelos critérios de TOAST, e os pacientes foram seguidos por um ano após o evento. Resultados A incidência ajustada por idade por 100.000 habitantes foi de 26 (17-39) para a aterosclerose da artéria grande (AGA), 17 (11-27) para cardioembolia (CE), 29 (20-41) para a oclusão de pequena artéria (OPA), 2 (0,6-7) para outras etiologias determinadas (OTR) e 30 (20-43) para etiologia indeterminada (IND). A taxa de mortalidade de 1 ano por 100.000 habitantes foi de 5 (2-11) para AGA, 6 (3-13) para CE, 1 (0,1-6) para OPA, 0,2 (0-0,9) para OTR e 9 (4-17) para IND. Conclusão Na população de Joinville, as incidências dos subtipos foram semelhantes aos encontrados em outras populações. Estes resultados destacam a importância de uma melhor detecção e controle dos fatores de risco para aterosclerose. .

Brazilian guidelines for the application of transcranial ultrasound as a diagnostic test for the confirmation of brain death / Diretrizes brasileiras para o uso do ultrassom transcraniano como teste diagnóstico de confirmação de morte cerebral

Neurosonological studies, specifically transcranial Doppler (TCD) and transcranial color-coded duplex (TCCD), have high level of specificity and sensitivity and they are used as complementary tests for the diagnosis of brain death (BD). A group of experts, from the Neurosonology Department of the Brazilian Academy of Neurology, created a task force to determine the criteria for the following aspects of diagnosing BD in Brazil: the reliability of TCD methodology; the reliability of TCCD methodology; neurosonology training and skills; the diagnosis of encephalic circulatory arrest; and exam documentation for BD. The results of this meeting are presented in the current paper.

Estudos neurossonológicos, especialmente o Doppler transcraniano (DTC) e o duplex transcraniano codificado a cores (DTCC), apresentam elevados níveis de especificidade e sensibilidade quando utilizados como exames complementares no diagnóstico de morte encefálica (ME). Um grupo de peritos do Departamento Científico de Doppler transcraniano da Academia Brasileira de Neurologia criou uma força-tarefa de forma a determinar os critérios neurossonológicos para os seguintes aspectos no diagnóstico de ME no Brasil: metodologia do DTC; metodologia do DTCC; treinamento e habilidades em Neurossonologia; diagnóstico de parada circulatória encefálica e documentação do exame para a ME. Os resultados deste encontro foram apresentados neste artigo.

Epidemiologia dos acidentes cerebrovasculares em Joinville, Brasil: estudo institucional / Epidemiology of cerebrovascular disease in Joinville, Brazil: an institutional study

A carência de dados epidemiológicos e a impressäo prévia de elevada incidência de acidente vascular cerebral (AVC) no Brasil criou o estímulo para estudo institucional prospectivo em Joinville. No período de 1-março-1995 a 1-março-1996, avaliamos o primeiro episódio e episódios recorrentes em AVC, incidência, mortalidade, taxa de fatalidade-caso em 30 dias (letalidade), frequência de fatores de risco, tempo para admissäo hospitalar e distribuiçäo dos infartos cerebrais por subtipos patológicos. Registramos 429 pacientes no período, 320 destes com primeiro episódio. Tomografia de crânio foi realizada em 98 por cento dos casos. A taxa de incidência anual ajustada por idade em primeiro episódio de AVC foi de 156/100000. A distribuiçäo por diagnóstico foi: 73,4 por cento para infarto cerebral, 18,4 por cento para hemorragia cerebral e 7,5 por cento para hemorragia subaracnóide. A taxa de mortalidade anual padronizada foi 25/100000. A letalidade foi 26 por cento. Hipertensäo, AVC prévio e diabetes foram os fatores de risco mais frequentes. Somente 25 por cento dos pacientes chegaram ao hospital nas primeira três horas iniciais. Concluimos que a taxa de incidência em primeiro episódio de AVC em pacientes institucionalizados em Joinville, Brasil, é elevada. A taxa de mortalidade e letalidade säo similares às de outras populaçoes.