scholarly journals Stroke admission rates before, during and after the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 791-798
Author(s):  
Espen Saxhaug Kristoffersen ◽  
Silje Holt Jahr ◽  
Kashif Waqar Faiz ◽  
Bente Thommessen ◽  
Ole Morten Rønning

Abstract Background There was a significant decrease in stroke admissions during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are concerns that stroke patients have not sought medical attention and in the months after the lockdown suffer recurrent severe strokes. The aims of this study were to investigate how stroke admission rates and distributions of severity varied before, during and after the lockdown in a representative Norwegian hospital population. Methods All patients discharged from Akershus University Hospital with a diagnosis of transient ischemic attack (TIA) or acute stroke from January to September 2020 were identified by hospital chart review. Results We observed a transient decrease in weekly stroke admissions during lockdown from an average of 21.4 (SD 4.7) before to 15.0 (SD 4.2) during and 17.2 (SD 3.3) after (p < 0.011). The proportion of mild ischemic and haemorrhagic strokes was also lower during lockdown with 66% before, 57% during and 68% after (p = 0.011). Conclusion The period of COVID-19 lockdown was associated with a temporary reduction in total admissions of strokes. In particular, there were fewer with TIA and mild stroke. Given the need to prevent the worsening of symptoms and risk of recurrence, it is necessary to emphasise the importance to seek medical care even in states of emergency.

JURNAL ELTEK ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Lis Diana Mustafa ◽  
Azam Muzakhim Imamuddin ◽  
Yoyok Heru Prasetio

Stroke Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA ) adalah kondisi stroke ringan. Stroke ringan diakibatkan oleh berkurangnya suplai darah menuju otak. Kelumpuhan disebabkan oleh kurangnya aliran darah ke otak, sehingga sisi tubuh akan mengalami kelumpuhan terutama pada siku dan lutut. Fisioterapi pada pasien pasca stroke ringan dilakukan dengan metode terapi gerakan antara lain seperti penggunaan alat bantu fisioterapi pasien pasca stroke menggunakan sensor MPU6050 melalui media transmisi Bluetooth. Sistem rancangan ini membantu latihan pada pasien berbentuk sensor MPU6050 yang digunakan untuk  mendeteksi sudut serta banyaknya gerakan rehabilitasi pasien pasca stroke. Sensor gyroscope menghasilkan deteksi sudut pada siku sebesar 150  dan sudut pada  lutut sebesar 135 . Data yang didapatkan diproses oleh arduino nano menggunakan metode I2C. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk merancang alat bantu fisioterapi pasien pasca stroke berbasis mikrokontroler guna memperoleh hasil yang maksimal karena bentuk alat ini yang portable. Stroke Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) is a mild stroke condition that can be caused by reduced blood supply to the brain due to blocked blood vessels. Lack of blood flow to the brain can cause paralysis, usually only on one side of the body such as the elbows and knees. Physiotherapy in post-stroke patients is carried out using movement therapy methods, including elbow and knee flexion. Currently, patients come to the therapist or vice versa to perform therapeutic movements, so a telemonitoring system for post-stroke patient physiotherapy tools is made using the MPU6050 sensor which is connected to ESP 232 and the internet network and can be monitored by therapists and clinic admins where the therapy is done. This system helps monitor elbow and knew flexion exercises using the MPU6050 sensor which is used to detect the angle and number of rehabilitation movements of post-stroke patients. . From the results of testing the accuracy of this sensor is able to detect the angle of elbow movement from 00-1500 and knee flexion angle of 00-1350 by 99%.The telemonitoring application for physiotherapy tools for post-stroke patients based on Android is equipped with a therapist menu so that the number of movements and the average angle of movement of the knees and elbows can be monitored by the therapist, this tool can also be used anywhere and anytime due to the portable form of this tool.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koji Tanaka ◽  
Shoji Matsumoto ◽  
Yusuke Nakazawa ◽  
Takeshi Yamada ◽  
Kazutaka Sonoda ◽  
...  

Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide with collateral damage and therefore might affect the behavior of stroke patients with mild symptoms seeking medical attention.Methods: Patients with ischemic stroke who were admitted to hospitals within 7 days of onset were retrospectively registered. The clinical characteristics, including onset-to-door time (ODT), of patients with a transient ischemic attack (TIA)/mild stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] score of ≤ 3 on admission) or moderate/severe stroke were compared between those admitted from April 2019 to March 2020 (pre-COVID-19 period) and from April to September 2020 (COVID-19 period). Multivariable regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with the ODT.Results: Of 1,100 patients (732 men, median age, 73 years), 754 were admitted during the pre-COVID-19 period, and 346 were admitted during the COVID-19 period. The number and proportion of patients with TIA/minor stroke were 464 (61.5%) in the pre-COVID-19 period and 216 (62.4%) during the COVID-19 period. Among patients with TIA/mild stroke, the ODT was longer in patients admitted during the COVID-19 period compared with that of the pre-COVID-19 period (median 864 min vs. 508 min, p = 0.003). Multivariable analysis revealed the COVID-19 period of admission was associated with longer ODT (standardized partial regression coefficient 0.09, p = 0.003) after adjustment for age, sex, route of arrival, NIHSS score on admission, and the presence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and wake-up stroke. No significant change in the ODT was seen in patients with moderate/severe stroke.Conclusions: The COVID-19 epidemic might increase the ODT of patients with TIA/mild stroke.


Stroke ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joon Hwa Lee ◽  
Hyunjin Jo ◽  
Jihoon Cha ◽  
Woo-Keun Seo ◽  
Oh Young Bang ◽  
...  

Background and purpose: We aimed to investigate the role of perfusion MRI parameters (TTP: time to peak, CBF: cerebral blood flow, CBV: cerebral blood volume) as a prognostic factor for the risk of stroke recurrence or cardiovascular outcome in patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed TIA or minor stroke patients who underwent our stroke MRI protocol (DWI, perfusion MRI, and MRA) in a consecutively collected stroke registry. Primary outcome was nonfatal stroke recurrence and secondary outcome was cardiovascular composite outcome. Multivariate analysis was used to examine the association of perfusion MRI parameters and angiographic findings with the risk of stroke recurrence and cardiovascular event. Results: Of the 326 patients who met inclusion criteria, we identified 15(4.6%) nonfatal strokes and 25(7.7%) cardiovascular composite events during the first 1 year after the index TIA or minor stroke. The presence of regional delayed perfusion on TTP maps (p=0.002) and regional hyperperfusion on CBV maps (p<0.001) were associated with recurrent stroke. In MRA images, concomitant stenosis of the intracranial arteries and/or extracranial carotid arteries was associated with cardiovascular events (p=0.009). Using multivariate cox proportional hazard analysis, presence of regional hyperperfusion on CBV remained an independent predictor of recurrent stroke (HR 10.82, 95% CI 4.19-38.67, p<0.001) and cardiovascular event (HR 6.30, 95% CI 2.67-18.25, p<0.001). The AUC of the CBV maps was also greater than other parameters for the prediction of stroke recurrence (AUC=0.701, 95% CI 0.54-0.86) and cardiovascular composite outcome (AUC=0.628, 95% CI 0.50-0.76). Conclusions: Increased CBV on perfusion MRI, representing the hemodynamic status of postischemic hyperperfusion, could be more useful than other perfusion parameters in predicting poor prognosis of TIA or minor stroke patients.


Stroke ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Louise Schmitz ◽  
Grethe Andersen ◽  
Irene Mikkelsen ◽  
Mette H Madsen ◽  
Achala Vagal ◽  
...  

Background: DWI-negativity was observed in nearly one third of patients with non-disabling ischemic stroke in a recent study and complete reversal of DWI-positivity was reported in 2% of mild-moderate strokes after IV rtPA treatment. We sought to identify acute DWI-negativity and DWI reversal rates in an independent cohort treated with IV rtPA because of mild stroke symptoms (defined as NIHSS 0-5). Methods: We reviewed a prospective single-center registry of consecutive, IV rtPA-treated patients at Aarhus University Hospital from 2004 to 2010 with a substantial number of strokes with low (0-5) NIHSS scores and reviewed their acute (<4.5 hours) and 24-hour MRI characteristics. Acute MRI is standard stroke work-up imaging at our center (except for patients with MRI contraindications). The local practice was to prefer IV rtPA treatment in mild stroke patients if clinical suspicion was supported by either MRI DWI positivity or other imaging data (MRI-perfusion lesions or visualized arterial occlusions on MRA). Only patients with final diagnoses of ischemic stroke upon hospital discharge were included in this analysis. Results: Among 694 patients treated with IV rtPA from 2004-2010, 266 (38.3%) had NIHSS 0-5. Among these mild stroke patients, 238 received acute MRI and 107 had 24-hour follow-up MRI. Acute DWI-negativity was observed in 32/238 (13.5%; 95% CI 9.4-18.4) patients prior to IV rtPA treatment. Among the cohort with both acute and 24-hour MRIs, acute DWI-negativity was present in 15/107 (14.0%) patients and persisted in 8/15 (53.3%; 95% CI 26.6-78.7). Of 92 DWI-positive patients, only 2/92 (2.1%) became DWI-negative at 24 hours. An association of acute DWI-negativity with younger age (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.96-1.01) or lower NIHSS (OR 0.90; 95% CI 0.69-1.18) was not found in this cohort. Conclusions: Acute DWI-negativity was observed in ~14% of ischemic strokes with NIHSS 0-5, and half remained negative at 24 hours following IV rtPA. DWI reversal from positive to negative, possibly representing an averted infarction, occurred in 2% of patients. These rates may be lower than the true rate of DWI-negativity and reversal in mild stroke, given limitations of this analysis, including DWI-positivity influencing the initial IV rtPA decision.


2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathieu Kruska ◽  
Anna Kolb ◽  
Christian Fastner ◽  
Iris Mildenberger ◽  
Svetlana Hetjens ◽  
...  

Background: There is little information concerning the invasive coronary angiography (ICA) findings of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) with elevated troponin levels and suspected myocardial infarction (MI). This study analyzed patient characteristics associated with ICA outcomes.Methods: A total of 8,322 patients with AIS or TIA, treated between March 2010 and May 2020, were retrospectively screened for elevated serum troponin I at hospital admission. Patients in whom ICA was performed, due to suspected type 1 MI based on symptoms, echocardiography, and ECG, were categorized according to ICA results (non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD): ≥1 stenosis ≥50% but no stenosis ≥80%; obstructive CAD: any stenosis ≥80% or hemodynamically relevant stenosis assessed by FFR/iwFR).Results: Elevated troponin levels were detected in 2,205 (22.5%) patients, of whom 123 (5.6%) underwent ICA (mean age 71 ± 12 years; 67% male). CAD was present in 98 (80%) patients, of whom 51 (41%) were diagnosed with obstructive CAD. Thus, ICA findings of obstructive CAD accounted for 2.3% of patients with troponin elevation and 0.6% of all stroke patients. The clinical hallmarks of myocardial ischemia, including angina pectoris (31 vs. 15%, p &lt; 0.05) and regional wall motion abnormalities (49 vs. 32%, p = 0.07), and increased cardiovascular risk indicated obstructive CAD. While there was no association between lesion site or stroke severity and ICA findings, causal large-artery atherosclerosis was significantly more common in patients with obstructive coronary disease (p &lt; 0.05).Conclusion: The rate of obstructive CAD in patients with stroke or TIA and elevated troponin levels with suspected concomitant type I MI is low. The cumulation of several cardiovascular risk factors and clinical signs of MI were predictive. AIS patients with large-artery atherosclerosis and elevated troponin may represent an especially vulnerable subgroup of stroke patients with risk for obstructive CAD.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingming Lu ◽  
Lichen Zhang ◽  
Fei Yuan ◽  
Peng Peng ◽  
Hongtao Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background:This study aimed to compare the characteristics of carotid plaques between patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) and ischemic stroke using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.Methods:Patients with a recent ischemic stroke or TIA who exhibited atherosclerotic plaques of carotid arteries in the symptomatic sides determined by MR vessel wall imaging were recruited. The plaque morphology and compositions including intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH), lipid-rich necrotic-core (LRNC) and calcification were compared between TIA and stroke patients. Logistic regression was performed to relate the plaque characteristics to the types of ischemic events.Results:A total of 270 patients with TIA or ischemic stroke were recruited. Stroke patients had significantly higher prevalence of diabetes (42.2% vs. 28.2%, p=0.021), greater mean wall area (35.1 ± 10.1 mm2 vs. 32.0 ± 7.7 mm2, p = 0.004), mean wall thickness (1.3 ± 0.2 mm vs. 1.2 ± 0.2 mm, p=0.001), maximum normalized wall index (NWI)(63.9% ± 6.0% vs. 62.2% ± 5.9%, p=0.023) and %volume of LRNC (9.7%± 8.2% vs. 7.4% ±7.9%, p=0.025) in carotid arteries compared to those with TIA. After adjusted for clinical factors, above characteristics of carotid arteries were significantly associated with the type of ischemic events. After further adjusted for maximum NWI, this association remained statistically significant (OR, 1.41; CI, 1.01-1.96; p=0.041).Conclusions:Ischemic stroke patients had larger plaque burden and greater proportion of LRNC in carotid plaques compared to those with TIA. This study suggests that ischemic stroke patients had more vulnerable plaques compared to those with TIA.


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