Acute telestroke evaluations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We sought to analyze the effect of COVID-19 on telestroke requests and to characterize patients remotely evaluated for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) during this time. This study is a retrospective database review of all telestroke requests at one academic vascular neurology center telestroke network with seven remote sites in the USA between March 15 and April 30, 2020. Data were compared with historical cohort spanning same time frame in 2019 using parametric or nonparametric methods as appropriate. Among telestroke requests, characteristics of age, gender, race/ethnicity, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), primary diagnosis of AIS or transient ischemic attack (TIA), and number of patients receiving intravenous alteplase (IV-rtPA) and endovascular therapy (ET) were recorded. There was a 53% decrease in telestroke evaluation requests in 2020 from 2019 (p < 0.00001). Mean NIHSS in 2020 was 9.1 (SD ± 8.4) and mean NIHSS in 2019 was 7.2 (SD ± 7.3) (p = 0.122). Among patients with primary diagnosis of suspected AIS or TIA, mean age was 60.5 years in 2020 (SD ± 17.5) and mean age of 67.0 years in 2019 (SD ± 16.0) (p = 0.038). A significant lower number of telestroke evaluations were performed with a higher mean NIHSS overall and a lower mean age among AIS/TIA-suspected patients. Higher NIHSS and severity in all telestroke evaluations reflect neurological manifestations of AIS and mimics, possibly influenced by COVID-19. The younger age of those with suspected AIS or TIA reflects thrombotic complications in atypical stroke populations.

The Spectrum of Nontraumatic Convexity Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Nontraumatic convexity subarachnoid hemorrhage (cSAH) is a nonaneurysmal variant that is associated with diverse etiologies. METHODS: With IRB approval, we retrospectively reviewed consecutive nontraumatic cSAH from July 1, 2006 to July 1, 2016. Data were abstracted on demographics, medical history, neuroimaging, etiology, and clinical presentation. RESULTS: We identified 94 cases of cSAH. The cases were classified according to the following etiologies: reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) 17 (18%), cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) 15 (16%), posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome 16 (17%), cerebral venous thrombosis 10 (11%), large artery occlusion 7 (7%), endocarditis 6 (6%), and cryptogenic 25 (27%). Early rebleeding occurred in 9 (10%) patients. Time from initial imaging to CT rebleeding was 40 hours (range, 5-74). CAA was associated with the highest mean age at 75.8 and RCVS the lowest at 47.6 years (P< .0001). Among patients with RCVS, initial vascular imaging was negative in 6 (35%), and repeat imaging documented vasoconstriction at a mean delay of 5 days (range, 3-16). CONCLUSION: There were significant differences among the subgroups in cSAH, with CAA presenting as older men with transient neurological deficits, and RCVS presenting as younger women with thunderclap headache. Rebleeding was seen in 10% of cSAH patients. One-third of RCVS patients with cSAH required repeat vascular imaging to diagnose vasoconstriction.

Participation in a Tele-Stroke Program Improves Timeliness of Intravenous Thrombolysis Delivery.

BACKGROUND: We sought to assess the effects of participation in a tele-stroke program on timeliness of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IVtPA) administration. METHODS: Among 259 consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients treated with IVtPA through the Rush tele-stroke program, we compared two cohorts: Period 1 (July 2011 to June 2013) and Period 2 (July 2013 to July 2014). We collected data on demographics, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and times of last known normal (LKN), initiation of tele-stroke consult, and IVtPA administration. RESULTS: The mean age was 69.6 years, 56% were female, the mean NIHSS was 11.8, and 41.7% patients were transferred to the hub site. The mean time from initiation of tele-stroke consult to IVtPA administration was 42.2 min. Time from initiation of tele-stroke consult to IVtPA administration improved from Period 1 to Period 2 (49.9 min vs. 35 min, p < 0.0001). This improvement was due to faster mean time from initiation of tele-stroke consult to IVtPA advised (17.4 min vs. 12.5 min, p < 0.0001) and faster mean time from IVtPA advised to administration (33.1 min vs. 22.5 min, p < 0.0001). The mean time from LKN to IVtPA given was also significantly improved (148.6 min vs. 160.9 min, p 0.045). CONCLUSIONS: Participation in a tele-stroke program associated with improvement in the timeliness of IVtPA delivery.

Three-Month Outcomes Are Poor in Stroke Patients with Cancer Despite Acute Stroke Treatment.

INTRODUCTION: Stroke risk is increased in cancer patients. Prognosis in these patients is poor, with higher in-hospital mortality and increased subsequent mortality. However, data on stroke in cancer patients are limited, specifically regarding acute stroke treatment and functional outcomes. We aim to determine the functional outcomes of cancer patients admitted with acute stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients carrying a diagnosis of cancer who were admitted with acute ischemic stroke between March 2013 and February 2016. Demographics, cerebrovascular risk factors, stroke characteristics including acute treatment, and characteristics of their cancer history and treatment were abstracted. The primary outcome measures included in-hospital mortality and 3-month functional outcome (as assessed by the modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score, with mRS scores of 3-6 considered poor functional outcome). Further outcome measures included length of stay and discharge destination. FINDINGS: Forty-nine patients met the inclusion criteria, with a median admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of 8. Twelve patients (24.4%) underwent acute stroke treatment. The most common stroke etiology was hypercoagulability of malignancy (21, 42.9%). The three-month mortality was 46.9%; half of survivors had poor functional outcome. Functional outcomes did not differ by cancer type, stage, or year since diagnosis; on multivariate analysis only high admission NIHSS score was associated with poor functional outcome (P = .002). CONCLUSION: Nearly half of patients with cancer and stroke die within 3 months, and functional outcome is poor for 50% of 3-month survivors despite consideration of acute stroke treatment. Future research should address the role of hypercoagulability in the outcome prediction of stroke patients with cancer.

MRI Detection of Cerebral Infarction in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detection of cerebral infarction (CI) in patients presenting with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). BACKGROUND: CI is a well-known complication of SAH that is typically detected on computed tomography (CT). MRI has improved sensitivity for acute CI over CT, particularly with multiple, small, or asymptomatic lesions. METHODS: With IRB approval, 400 consecutive SAH patients admitted to our institution from August 2006 to March 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Traumatic SAH and secondary SAH were excluded. Data were collected on demographics, cause of SAH, Hunt Hess and World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies grades, and neuroimaging results. MRIs were categorized by CI pattern as single cortical (SC), single deep (SD), multiple cortical (MC), multiple deep (MD), and multiple cortical and deep (MCD). RESULTS: Among 123 (30.8 %) SAH patients who underwent MRIs during their hospitalization, 64 (52 %) demonstrated acute CI. The mean time from hospital admission to MRI was 5.7 days (range 0-29 days). Among the 64 patients with MRI infarcts, MRI CI pattern was as follows: MC in 20 (31 %), MCD in 18 (28 %), SC in 16 (25 %), SD in 3 (5 %), MD in 2 (3 %), and 5 (8 %) did not have images available for review. Most infarcts detected on MRI (39/64 or 61 %) were not visible on CT. CONCLUSIONS: The use of MRI increases the detection of CI in SAH. Unlike CT studies, MRI-detected CI in SAH tends to involve multiple vascular territories. Studies that rely on CT may underestimate the burden of CI after SAH.

Risk stratification for the in-hospital mortality in subarachnoid hemorrhage: the HAIR score.

BACKGROUND: The intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) score is a simple grading scale that can be used to stratify risk of 30 day mortality in ICH patients. A similar risk stratification scale for subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is lacking. We sought to develop a risk stratification mortality score for SAH. METHODS: With approval from the Institutional Review Board, we retrospectively reviewed 400 consecutive SAH patients admitted to our institution from August 1, 2006 to March 1, 2011. The SAH score was developed from a multivariable logistic regression model which was validated with bootstrap method. A separate cohort of 302 SAH patients was used for evaluation of the score. RESULTS: Among 400 patients with SAH, the mean age was 56.9 ± 13.9 years (range, 21.5-96.2). Among the 366 patients with known causes of SAH, 292 (79.8%) of patients had aneurysmal SAH, 65 (17.8%) were angiogram negative, and 9 (2%) were other vascular causes. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 20%. In multivariable analysis, the variables independently associated with the in-hospital mortality were Hunt and Hess score (HH) (p < 0.0001), age (p < 0.0001), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) (p = 0.049), and re-bleed (p = 0.01). The SAH score (0-8) was made by adding the following points: HH (HH1-3 = 0, HH4 = 1, HH5 = 4), age (<60 = 0, 60-80 = 1, ≥80 = 2), IVH (no = 0, yes = 1), and re-bleed within 24 h (no = 0, yes = 1). Using our model, the in-hospital mortality rates for patients with score of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 were 0.9, 4.5, 9.1, 34.5, 52.9, 60, 82.1, and 83.3% respectively. Validation analysis indicates good predictive performance of this model. CONCLUSION: The SAH score allows a practical method of risk stratification of the in-hospital mortality. The in-hospital mortality increases with increasing SAH mortality score. Further investigation is warranted to validate these findings.

Telestroke in an urban setting.

BACKGROUND: Telestroke is a viable alternative in rural areas where neurologists or stroke expertise is unavailable. Urban applications of telestroke have not been previously described. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients evaluated using remote telestroke technology at four urban spoke hospitals between March 2011 and March 2013 were included in this analysis. Telestroke services were provided by vascular fellowship-trained neurologists at one academic stroke center. Patient characteristics, time to initiation of consult, and treatment decisions were prospectively recorded. Stroke triage protocols and thrombolysis rates prior to initiation of telestroke were also obtained. RESULTS: Four hundred ninety-eight patients were evaluated during the study period; mean age was 64.5 years, and 60.4% were female. Median time from initial emergency room call to start of teleconsult was 5 (range, 1-51) minutes. Average length of teleconsult was 30 minutes. Technical difficulties occurred in 80 (16.0%) teleconsults, but only 1 was major. Daytime calls (8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday) accounted for 38.2% of teleconsults. Two hundred eighty-one patients (56.4%) were determined by teleconsult to have an acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). In 72 patients (14.5% overall; 25.6% of all ischemic stroke/TIA patients), intravenous alteplase (tissue plasminogen activator) was recommended. Transfer to the hub hospital occurred in 75 patients (15.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Telestroke is a rapid and effective way to assess patients with suspected acute stroke in an urban setting. Its use may increase access to stroke neurologists and improve thrombolysis rates where competing responsibilities may delay, prevent, and even dissuade on-site evaluation by neurologists.

Relative changes in transcranial Doppler velocities are inferior to absolute thresholds in prediction of symptomatic vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage.

The absolute transcranial Doppler (TCD) velocity threshold has been validated as a screening tool for vasospasm after subarchnoid hemorrhage (SAH). We assessed whether relative changes in velocity were superior to absolute TCD thresholds in the detection of symptomatic vasospasm. We reviewed consecutive patients with aneurysmal SAH who underwent serial TCD monitoring and survived at least 7 days. We recorded initial flow velocity (IFV) and maximal flow velocity (MFV) of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) serially up to 14 days from admission. We calculated relative flow velocity changes (MFV/IFV) and maximum change in mean flow velocity (FVmean) over any consecutive 2 days in addition to standard absolute measures of Lindegaard ratio (LR) and FVmean. We calculated receiver operating characteristic curve and area under curve (AUC) values, sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive and negative predictive values for these parameters, optimal cutpoints, and various combinations. Forty-eight of 211 patients (23%) developed symptomatic MCA vasospasm. AUC values for various TCD parameters were 0.80 for MCA MFV >175 cm/s, 0.71 for LR >6, 0.64 for MFV/IFV >2, and 0.64 for >70% change in MFV over 2 days. The best characteristics were observed for the combination of MFV >175 cm/s and/or maximal LR >6 (AUC 0.81). Our data suggest that absolute thresholds of TCD FVmean provide the most accurate prediction of symptomatic MCA vasospasm after SAH. Other thresholds, including relative change from baseline and day-to-day changes, are inferior to established absolute thresholds.

Elevated international normalized ratio as a manifestation of post-thrombolytic coagulopathy in acute ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND: A serious complication of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in acute ischemic stroke is hemorrhage. Coagulation factors that may potentially increase the risk of bleeding after tPA are not well understood. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 284 acute ischemic stroke patients who received tPA. Post-tPA coagulopathy was defined as a documented elevation of international normalized ration (INR) > 1.5 within 24 hours after IV tPA without a known cause. RESULTS: We identified 21 (7.4%) patients with an elevated INR post-thrombolysis. The mean age was 68.3 years (standard deviation ± 11.9) and 57% were male. The mean initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (pre-tPA) was 15.8 (range, 4-35). Liver disease or alcohol abuse was noted in 19%. There were 2 tPA protocol violations who received more than 90 mg tPA. The mean post-tPA INR was 2.03 (range, 1.5-4.7) and the elevation in INR was documented within a mean 5.4 hours (range, 1-15) after tPA initiation. Repeat INR levels returned to normal during their hospital stay in 19 patients. Hypofibrinogenemia was noted in 10 of 12 patients who had fibrinogen levels drawn within 48 hours after tPA initiation and in all 7 patients with fibrinogen levels drawn the same time as the elevated INR. Among the 6 patients with bleeding complications, 2 patients had symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS: We report an under-recognized early transient coagulopathy associated with elevated INR in stroke patients after treatment with tPA.

Posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome presenting with global cerebral edema and herniation.

BACKGROUND: We report a case of global cerebral edema and herniation due to Posterior Reversible Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome (PRES). METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: A 37-year-old healthy female developed persistent severe occipital headache, and after 1 month of persistent headache, developed an episode of loss of consciousness. CT brain showed diffuse cerebral edema and effacement of the sulci and basal cisterns. Her initial neurological examination was nonfocal but with severe headache. Overnight, she acutely became unresponsive with fixed dilated pupils, tachycardia, and hypertension. She was intubated and treated with hypertonic saline and mannitol with improvement in her clinical status. Intracranial Pressure (ICP) monitor showed elevated ICPs to 37 mmHg which responded to mannitol. MRI brain showed diffuse vasogenic edema predominantly in the white matter without enhancement. Cerebral angiogram was unremarkable. Cerebrospinal fluid including infectious work-up was negative. With supportive care, her mental status improved. On her 3 month follow-up visit, she was asymptomatic and had returned to work. Repeat MRI brain at 3 months showed persistent white matter changes that subsequently resolved at 9 months. CONCLUSIONS: Although PRES is typically considered to have a benign clinical course, clinician should be aware that severe cases can present with global cerebral edema and associated complications including intracranial hypertension and herniation.

Intravenous thrombolysis in a stroke patient taking dabigatran.

We describe the use of intravenous thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV-rtPA) in a patient with concomitant dabigatran use. A 64-year-old man with a history of coronary artery disease, pacemaker placement, and atrial fibrillation developed acute right arm/face weakness and dysarthria. He was unable to list his home medications. His platelet count was 167 × 10(9)/L (normal 150-399 × 10(9)/L), and his activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) was 37.6 seconds (normal 24.0-33.0 seconds). His international normalized ratio (INR) was 1.1. He received IV-rtPA at 3 hours and 25 minutes after the onset of symptoms. After IV-rtPA was administered, it was discovered that the patient had been taking dabigatran for 2 months. After IV-rtPA, the patient developed severe superficial left arm ecchymoses but remained without cerebral complications. On poststroke day 1, his fibrinogen level was low at 63 mg % (normal 190-395 mg %), his aPTT was normal at 33, and his INR was elevated at 1.72 but decreased to 1.18 on the following day. Repeat computed tomographic imaging of his brain confirmed a left middle cerebral artery ischemic cortical infarct. We report a case of an acute stroke patient taking dabigatran who received IV-rtPA. In the acute stroke setting, clinicians should be aware of the increasing use of dabigatran in patients with atrial fibrillation when considering IV-rtPA. Although aPTT does not provide a linear response to dabigatran therapy, the presence of a completely normal PTT may exclude therapeutic dabigatran anticoagulation.

Acute Large Vessel Ischemic Stroke in Patients With COVID-19-Related Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is rare in children, and diagnosis is often delayed. Neurological involvement may occur in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), but very few cases of AIS in patients with MIS-C have been reported. PATIENT DESCRIPTIONS: We two patients with AIS presenting with large vessel occlusive disease in previously healthy adolescents recently exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection. RESULTS: Both patients were subsequently diagnosed with and treated for MIS-C. Here, we discuss the course of their treatments and clinical responses. CONCLUSION: Early recognition and diagnosis of AIS with large vessel occlusion in children with MIS-C is critical to make available all treatment options to improve clinical outcomes.

Acute Ischemic Stroke and COVID-19: Experience From a Comprehensive Stroke Center in Midwest US.

Background: COVID-19 has been associated with increased risk of venous and arterial thromboembolism including ischemic stroke. We report on patients with acute ischemic stroke and concomitant COVID-19 in a diverse patient population. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of patients hospitalized with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and COVID-19 to our comprehensive stroke center in Chicago, IL, between March 1, 2020, and April 30, 2020. We reviewed stroke characteristics, etiologies, and composite outcomes. We then compared our cohort with historic patients with AIS without COVID-19 admitted in the same time frame in 2019 and 2020. Results: Out of 13 patients with AIS and COVID-19, Latinos and African-Americans compromised the majority of our cohort (76.8%), with age ranging from 31-80 years. Most strokes were cortical (84.6%) and more than 50% of patients had no identifiable source, and were categorized as embolic stroke of unknown source (ESUS). A trend toward less alteplase administration was noted in the COVID-19 stroke patients compared to the non-COVID group from 2020 and 2019 (7.1 vs. 20.7% p 0.435 and 7.1 vs. 27.2% p 0.178). Endovascular thrombectomy was performed in 3 (23%) patients. Systemic thrombotic complications occurred in 3 (23%) COVID-19 AIS patients. Median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and modified Rankin Scale at discharge were 11 (IQR 4-23) and 4 (IQR 3-4), respectively. In the logistic regression model corrected for age and sex, COVID-19 was associated with discharge to mRS > 2 (p 0.046, OR 3.82, CI 1.02-14.3). Eight patients (63.8%) were discharged home or to acute rehabilitation, and two deceased from COVID-19 complications. Conclusion: AIS in the setting of COVID-19 is associated with worse outcomes, especially among African-American and Latino populations. Large vessel disease with ESUS was common suggesting an increased risk of coagulopathy and endothelial dysfunction as a potential etiology.

Neurological manifestations and COVID-19: Experiences from a tertiary care center at the Frontline.

OBJECTIVE: To report neurological manifestations seen in patients hospitalized with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from a large academic medical center in Chicago, Illinois. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data records of 50 patients with COVID-19 who were evaluated by the neurology services from March 1, 2020 - April 30, 2020. Patients were categorized into 2 groups based on timing of developing neurological manifestations: the "Neuro first" group had neurological manifestations upon initial assessment, and the "COVID first" group developed neurological symptoms greater than 24 h after hospitalization. The demographics, comorbidities, disease severity and neurological symptoms and diagnoses of both groups were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the two groups. RESULTS: A total of 50 patients (48% African American and 24% Latino) were included in the analysis. Most common neurological manifestations observed were encephalopathy (n = 30), cerebrovascular disease (n = 20), cognitive impairment (n = 13), seizures (n = 13), hypoxic brain injury (n = 7), dysgeusia (n = 5), and extraocular movement abnormalities (n = 5). The "COVID-19 first" group had more evidence of physiologic disturbances on arrival with a more severe/critical disease course (83.3% vs 53.8%, p 0.025). CONCLUSION: Neurologic manifestations of COVID-19 are highly variable and can occur prior to the diagnosis of or as a complication of the viral infection. Despite similar baseline comorbidities and demographics, the COVID-19 patients who developed neurologic symptoms later in hospitalization had more severe disease courses. Differently from previous studies, we noted a high percentage of African American and Latino individuals in both groups.

Mobile Real-time Tracking of Acute Stroke Patients and Instant, Secure Inter-team Communication - the Join App.

PURPOSE: The primary correlate to survival and preservation of neurologic function in patients suffering from an acute ischemic stroke is time from symptom onset to initiation of therapy and reperfusion. Communication and coordination among members of the stroke team are essential to maximizing efficiency and subsequently early reperfusion. In this work, we aim to describe our preliminary experience using the Join mobile application as a means to improve interdisciplinary team communication and efficiency. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We describe our pilot experience with the initiation of the Join mobile application between July 2015 and July 2016. With this application, a mobile beacon is transported with the patient on the ambulance. Transportation milestone timestamps and geographic coordinates are transmitted to the treating facility and instantly communicated to all treatment team members. The transport team / patient can be tracked en route to the treating facility. RESULTS: During our pilot study, 62 patients were triaged and managed using the Join application. Automated time-stamping of critical events, geographic tracking of patient transport and summary documents were obtained for all patients. Treatment team members had an overall favorable impression of the Join application and recommended its continued use. CONCLUSION: The Join application is one of several components of a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary effort to improve the treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke. The ability of the treatment team to track patient transport and communicate with the transporting team may improve reperfusion time and, therefore, improve neurologic outcomes.

Use of a cell line to investigate olfactory ensheathing cell-enhanced axonal regeneration.

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs), a unique type of macroglia required for normal olfactory axonal regeneration throughout the lifetime of an individual, have been shown to have regeneration-enhancing properties when used to treat various neuronal injuries. Availability of OECs is a hurdle facing future clinical use of the cells for spinal cord injury (SCI) therapy. The number of OECs that can realistically be harvested from each animal is limited, and ensuring a pure cell population is difficult. We have begun to characterize a nonsyngeneic strain of OECs, i.e., from a homogenous OEC clonal cell line (nOECs). The purpose of this study was to determine whether nOECs have the same properties and provide the same functional recovery after SCI, as primary cultures of OECs. The results indicate that nOECs survive in vivo, produce growth-promoting proteins, and possess regeneration-promoting capabilities. Spinal cord injured rats that were treated with nOECs performed significantly better on functional tests than injured control animals beginning at 5 weeks after operation. In summary, evidence of nOEC regeneration-promoting capabilities suggests that this cell line can be used as potential therapy in SCI research.