Direct access to a hospital offering intravenous thrombolysis therapy improves functional outcome of acute ischemic stroke patients

A Clinical Observation of Intravenous Thrombolysis in Acute Ischemic Stroke with Minor Trauma

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to observe the curative effect of intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase in patients with acute ischemic stroke and minor trauma.

METHODS

The data of 25 patients with minor trauma who were treated in our department from January to December 2018 were analyzed retrospectively (observation group), and during the same period, 25 thrombolytic patients were enrolled as the control group. Brain computed tomography (CT) was performed before and at three days after thrombolysis. NIHSS scores were recorded before thrombolysis and at one, three, and seven days after thrombolysis. Additionally, bleeding rate after thrombolysis and 90-day mRS scores were recorded.

RESULTS

The differences in 1-day, 3-day, and 7-day NIHSS scores and 90-day mRS scores between the two groups were not statistically significant (P>0.05). The bleeding rate was higher in the observation group than in the control group, and this was statistically significant (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase has a good curative effect in acute ischemic stroke patients with minor trauma. The bleeding rate was significantly higher than in the control group, but there was no significant difference in the long-term curative effect.

Outcomes of thrombolytic therapy in acute ischemic stroke: mothership, drip-and-ship, and ship-and-drip paradigms

Background

Chulalongkorn Stroke Center is a comprehensive stroke center (CSC) located in Bangkok, Thailand. Our stroke network consists of different levels of spoke hospitals, ranging from community hospitals where thrombolytic treatment is not available, to those capable of onsite thrombolytic therapy. This study aimed to assess the time to treatment and outcomes among acute ischemic stroke patients who received thrombolytic treatment in the Chulalongkorn Stroke Network by 1.) Direct arrival at the CSC (mothership) 2.) Telestroke-assisted thrombolytic treatment with secondary transfer to the CSC (drip-and-ship) 3.) Referral from community hospital to the CSC for thrombolytic treatment (ship-and-drip).

Methods

Acute ischemic stroke patients who received thrombolytic treatment during January 2016–December 2017 in the Chulalongkorn Stroke Network were studied. Time to treatment and clinical outcomes were compared among treatment groups.

Results

There were 273 patients in the study including 147, 87, and 39 patients in mothership, drip-and-ship, and ship-and-drip paradigms, respectively. The door-to-needle-time (DTN) and onset-to-needle-time (OTN) times were significantly longest in ship-and-drip group (146.5 ± 62/205.03 ± 44.88 mins) compared to mothership (38 ± 23/155.2 ± 60.54 mins) and drip-and-ship (63.0 ± 44/166.09 ± 87 mins), P < 0.05. There was no significant difference regarding functional independence defined by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ≤ 2 at 3 months (P = 0.12), in-hospital mortality (P = 0.37), mortality at 3 months (P = 0.73), and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (P = 0.24) among groups.

Conclusion

Thrombolytic treatment with drip and ship method under teleconsultation is feasible in Thailand. There was no difference of clinical outcome among the 3 treatment paradigms. However, DTN time and OTN time were longest in the ship-and-drip paradigm.

Earlier IV thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke are associated with a better recanalization

Introduction:

Combined intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and mechanical thrombectomy (MT) are the recommended treatment options for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). It is unclear whether earlier IVT and MT management can predict complete vessel recanalization.

Methods:

In this single-center retrospective observational study, we included 81 consecutive subjects with proximal middle cerebral artery AIS (age 70.5 ± 14.2 years, 53% female) who had both IVT and MT. We assessed recanalization after mechanical procedure according to modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) score as well as the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at 24 h. Outcomes were modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at discharge, mRS at 3 months, death at 3 months, and prevalence of intracerebral hemorrhage during hospitalization.

Results:

Multinomial logistic regression ( χ 2 = 49.4, p = 0.0075, pseudo- R 2 = 0.26) showed that complete recanalization (TICI score = 3) was predicted by lower door-to-MT time ( p = 0.014, 95% confidence interval (CI) = −0.09 to −0.01) and lower symptoms-to-IVT time ( p = 0.045, 95% CI = −0.038 to −0.0004). An NIHSS score ≥10 at 24 h was predicted by higher baseline NIHSS ( p < 0.0001) and lower TICI score ( p = 0.009). Lower NIHSS at 24 h predicted a good outcome according to mRS at 3 months ( p = 0.006). Similarly, higher NIHSS at 24 h was a predictor of death at 3 months ( p = 0.013).

Conclusions:

The present study suggests that bridging therapy may improve vascular recanalization when both IVT and MT are performed earlier.

Meta-analysis of the Smoker’s Paradox in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients Receiving Intravenous Thrombolysis or Endovascular Treatment

Introduction

The existence of the smoker’s paradox is controversial and potential mechanisms have not been explained. We aimed to explore the association between cigarette smoking and functional outcome at 3 months in patients with acute ischemic stroke who were treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) or endovascular treatment (EVT).

Methods

This meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Studies exploring the association between smoking and good functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale score ≤ 2) following IVT or EVT were searched via the databases of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from inception to August 8, 2018. Information on the characteristics of included studies was independently extracted by two investigators. Data were pooled using a random-effects or fixed-effects meta-analysis according to the heterogeneity of included studies.

Results

Among 20 identified studies, 15 reported functional outcomes following IVT, and five reported functional outcomes following EVT. Unadjusted analyses showed that smoking increased the odds of good functional outcomes with a pooled odds ratio (OR) of 1.48 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.36–1.60) after IVT and 2.10 (95% CI: 1.47–3.20) after EVT. Of IVT studies, only eight reported outcomes adjusted for covariates and none of the EVT studies reported adjusted outcomes. After adjustment, the relation between smoking and good functional outcome following IVT lost statistical significance (OR 1.14 [95% CI: 0.81–1.59]).

Conclusion

Our meta-analysis suggested that smoking was not associated with good functional outcome (mRS ≤ 2) at 3 months in patients with acute ischemic stroke who were treated with intravenous thrombolysis.

Implications

The existence of the smoker’s paradox is controversial. A previous letter by Plas et al. published in 2013 reported a positive result for the association between smoking and good functional outcome at 3 months in acute ischemic stroke patients who received intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). However, a major limitation of their meta-analysis was that the process of data synthesis was based on unadjusted data. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to investigate the association based on adjusted data and a larger sample size. Our meta-analysis suggested that smoking was not associated with good functional outcome after adjusting for covariates.

Clinical Outcomes among Transferred Children with Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Strokes in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample

INTRODUCTION

Children with ischemic stroke (IS) and hemorrhagic stroke (HS) may require interfacility transfer for higher level of care. We compared the characteristics and clinical outcomes of transferred and nontransferred children with IS and HS.

METHODS

Children aged 1-18 years admitted to hospitals in the United States from 2008 to 2011 with a primary discharge diagnosis of IS and HS were identified from the National Inpatient Sample database by ICD-9 codes. Using logistic regression, we estimated the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for in-hospital mortality and discharge to nursing facilities (versus discharge home) between transferred and nontransferred patients.

RESULTS

Of the 2815 children with IS, 26.7% were transferred. In-hospital mortality and discharge to nursing facilities were not different between transferred and nontransferred children in univariable analysis or in multivariable analysis that adjusted for age, sex, and confounding factors. Of the 6879 children with HS, 27.1% were transferred. Transferred compared to nontransferred children had higher rates of both in-hospital mortality (8% versus 4%, P = .003) and discharge to nursing facilities (25% versus 20%, P = .03). After adjusting for age, sex, and confounding factors, in-hospital mortality (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.4, P = .04) remained higher in transferred children, whereas discharge to nursing facilities was not different between the groups.

CONCLUSION

HS but not IS was associated with worse outcomes for children transferred to another hospital compared to children who were not transferred. Additional study is needed to understand what factors may contribute to poorer outcomes among transferred children with HS.