scholarly journals Stroke Risk Factors Beyond the CHA2DS2-VASc Score: Can We Improve Our Identification of “High Stroke Risk” Patients With Atrial Fibrillation?

2015 ◽  
Vol 116 (11) ◽  
pp. 1781-1788 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filip M. Szymanski ◽  
Gregory Y.H. Lip ◽  
Krzysztof J. Filipiak ◽  
Anna E. Platek ◽  
Anna Hrynkiewicz-Szymanska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Stroke Risk ◽  
Stroke Risk Factors ◽  
Risk Patients

Abstract WMP95: A Transition of Care Program to Reduce Stroke Related Hospital Readmissions

Stroke ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Khan ◽  
Hebah M Hefzy
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Readmission Rate ◽  
Stroke Risk ◽  
Community Hospital ◽  
Hospital Readmissions ◽  
Care Program ◽  
Transition Of Care ◽  
Stroke Risk Factors ◽  
Risk Patients

Introduction: Readmission to the hospital after discharge following a stroke or TIA remains a nation-wide problem. While the CMS national benchmark was approximately 12% in 2015, our hospital Medicare stroke readmission rate rose from approximately 12% at the end of 2014 to 28.6% in February 2015. Our goal was a reduction in stroke readmission rates to below the national benchmark of 12% by December 2015. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that implementing a transition of care program at our 200 bed community hospital would reduce hospital stroke-related readmissions. Methods: In March 2015, a random sample of forty stroke/TIA patients that were discharged home between December of 2014 and February of 2015 were interviewed. The patients were asked about barriers to discharge, what could have improved the discharge experience, and what problems they encountered that could have resulted in a readmission. Based on their answers, risk factors were identified using an inverse Pareto graph and a transition of care program was implemented which included the following work flow: 1) daily rounding to query patients regarding insight into stroke risk factors, environmental concerns, and social impacts to discharge in the stroke unit by the stroke coordinator (a registered nurse); 2) a discharge telephone call within two business days to high risk patients identified during rounds focusing on review of the discharge summary, re-education regarding stroke risk factors, and ensuring that follow-up appointments were in place; 3) an outpatient follow-up appointment with a board certified vascular neurologist within two weeks of discharge. Results: Our transition of care program resulted in an improvement of 82.5%, with a Medicare stroke re-admission rate of 5% in December 2015. As of May 2016, our year-to-date hospital stroke readmission rate is 8.1%, while the current CMS national average is 12.7%. Conclusions: A transition of care program is implementable in a community hospital setting, and results in reduced stroke-related hospital readmissions. Its success emphasizes the importance of identifying high risk patients and assessing individual drivers of readmission risk.

scholarly journals CHA2DS2-VASc score, left atrial size and atrial fibrillation as stroke risk factors in the Tromsø Study

Open Heart ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. e000439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sweta Tiwari ◽  
Maja-Lisa Løchen ◽  
Bjarne K Jacobsen ◽  
Laila A Hopstock ◽  
Audhild Nyrnes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Left Atrial ◽  
Stroke Risk ◽  
Left Atrial Size ◽  
Stroke Risk Factors ◽  
Atrial Size

Embolic stroke of undetermined source correlates to atrial fibrosis without atrial fibrillation

Neurology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 93 (4) ◽  
pp. e381-e387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karman Tandon ◽  
David Tirschwell ◽  
W.T. Longstreth ◽  
Bryn Smith ◽  
Nazem Akoum
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Stroke Risk ◽  
Embolic Stroke ◽  
Cardioembolic Stroke ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Atrial Fibrosis ◽  
Stroke Risk Factors ◽  
Causal Pathway

ObjectiveTo examine the hypothesis that atrial fibrosis and associated atrial cardiopathy may be in the causal pathway of cardioembolic stroke independently of atrial fibrillation (AF) by comparing atrial fibrosis burden between patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS), patients with AF, and healthy controls.MethodsWe used late-gadolinium-enhancement MRI to compare atrial fibrosis in 10 patients with ESUS against 10 controls (no stroke, no AF) and 10 patients with AF. Fibrosis was compared between groups, controlling for stroke risk factors.ResultsMean age was 51 ± 15 years, and 43% of participants were female. Patients with ESUS had more atrial fibrosis than controls (16.8 ± 5.7% vs 10.6 ± 5.7%, p = 0.019) and similar fibrosis compared to patients with AF (17.8 ± 4.8%, p = 0.65). Odds ratios of ESUS per quartile of fibrosis were 3.22 (95% CI [CI] 1.11–9.32, p = 0.031, unadjusted) and 3.17 (95% CI 1.05–9.52, p = 0.041, CHA2DVASc score adjusted). Patients with >12% fibrosis had a higher percentage of ESUS (77.8% vs 27.3%, p = 0.02), and patients with >20% fibrosis had the highest proportion of ESUS (4 of 5).ConclusionsPatients with ESUS exhibit similar atrial fibrosis compared to patients with AF and more fibrosis than healthy controls. Fibrosis is associated with ESUS after controlling for stroke risk factors, supporting the hypothesis that fibrosis is in the causal pathway of cardioembolic stroke independently of AF. Prospective studies are needed to assess the role of anticoagulation in primary and secondary stroke prevention in patients with high atrial fibrosis.

scholarly journals The Risk of Stroke Using CHA2 DS2 -VASc Score in Hemodialysis Patients at a Tertiary Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (7) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Stroke Risk ◽  
Hemodialysis Patients ◽  
Low Risk ◽  
High Risk Patients ◽  
Stroke Risk Factors ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Risk Patients ◽  
History Of

Introduction: Patients undergoing hemodialysis are at increased risk of stroke. However, less known about the impact of some of the stroke risk factors, and the value of stroke risk scores in determining the risk in those patients. Our main goal. To assess the risk factors for stroke in hemodialysis patients and the use of the new CHA2DS2-VASc score for stroke assessment. Methods: Single center, retrospective cohort study of 336 patients undergoing hemodialysis from June 24, 2018, to September 6, 2018, was recruited. Baseline demographics, clinical, and laboratory data were collected. We calculated the CHA2 DS2 -VASc score for stroke assessment in all patients and categorized them into high, moderate and low risk patients according to CHA2 DS2 - VASc score and subcategorized them to two groups atrial fibrillation (AFib) and Non- Atrial fibrillation (Non AFib) patients. Results: 336 patients were included in our study; the majority of patients were at high risk with a CHA2 DS2 -VASc Score mean of 2.9± 1.5, although history of stroke was observed only in 15 patients (4.46%). According to CHA2 DS2 - VASc score, 280 patients were at high risk, 172 (51.19%) were high-risk patients on treatment (anticoagulant or antiplatelet) and 108(32.14%) patients were high risk patients not on treatment 48 were at moderate risk (14.28%) and 8 were at low risk (2.38 %). Patients were divided into subgroups as non-AFib and AFib. In non-AFib patients 320 (95.23%), high-risk patients 103 (32.18%) were not treated; high-risk patients with treatment are 162 (50.62%), moderate patients were 47 (14.68%), 8(2.5%) was in low risk. AFib patients were 16 with a mean CHA2 DS2 -VASc score of 4.4±1.1. Patients with AFib were all at high risk except 1 was at moderate risk (6.25%). There were 11 (68.75%) patients on treatment and 5 (31.25%) patients not on treatment. The risk factors for stroke that were statistically significant in increasing score risk for all patients were: age > 65 (95% CI, -2.04– -1.29; p = 0.000), being female (95% CI, -1.36– -0.68; p = 0.000) hypertension (95% CI, -2.59– -1.37; p = 0.000), diabetes (95% CI, -2.10– -1.50; p = 0.000), CVD (95% CI, -2.07– -1.24; p=0.000), history of stroke or TIA (95% CI, -3.70– -2.03; p = 0.000), CHF or LVEF (95% CI, -2.28– - 0.91; p = 0.000). Conclusions: The risk of stroke in hemodialysis patients is significant according to the use of CHA2 DS2 -VASc score in Non-AFib hemodialysis patients shows supportive evidence of increased risk of stroke in those patients, which suggest the importance of close monitoring of patients with stroke risk factors by the nephrologist and the stroke team which will lead to the initiation of early prophylaxis in those patients.

scholarly journals Pneumonia in patients with stroke: risk factors, identification of at-risk patients, and methods of prevention

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 88-96
Author(s):  
Michał Turlakiewicz ◽  
◽  
Anna Piekarska ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Acute Phase ◽  
Stroke Risk ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Scoring Systems ◽  
Stroke Risk Factors ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
Risk Patients ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
Expert Recommendations

Stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) is the most common complication of the early stage of ischaemic stroke. The prevalence of SAP is difficult to determine precisely, but it is estimated to affect 2–22% of patients in the acute phase of stroke. Strokeassociated pneumonia is a clinically significant problem, as it markedly increases the risk of death compared to the population of acute stroke patients without pneumonia. In addition, SAP is associated with poorer final functional status, greater dependence on other people’s help after hospital discharge, extended hospital stay, and higher treatment costs. The paper presents the risk factors for stroke-related pneumonia, including the two best documented: dysphagia and stroke-induced immunodepression syndrome (SIDS). An attempt is made to identify patients in the acute phase of stroke who should be evaluated for the risk of developing pneumonia, and tools useful in the identification of such patients (A2DS2, ISAN scoring systems) are discussed. Also, based on expert recommendations, measures to minimise the risk of stroke-related pneumonia are proposed, and the recommended therapeutic regimen is described.

Abstract 18738: Use of Antithrombotic Therapies and Outcomes in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Failure: Insights from the GARFIELD Registry

Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramon Corbalan ◽  
Antonio C Pereira Barretto ◽  
Giuseppe Ambrosio ◽  
Wael Al Mahmeed ◽  
Jean-Yves Le Heuzey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Heart Failure ◽  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
New York ◽  
Stroke Risk ◽  
Nyha Class ◽  
Heart Association ◽  
Class Iii ◽  
Stroke Risk Factor ◽  
Stroke Risk Factors

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is commonly associated with heart failure (HF) and this combination is associated with a worse prognosis than either alone. However, it is unclear if these patients receive appropriate antithrombotic therapies and if they have a higher incidence of stroke or systemic embolism (SE). Methods: We compared clinical characteristics, antithrombotic therapies, and outcomes in patients with and without HF in the GARFIELD Registry, an ongoing, international, observational registry of consecutively recruited patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular AF and ≥1 additional stroke risk factor. A total of 12,458 prospective patients were enrolled in 30 countries between March 2010 and January 2013. Results are reported at 1-year follow-up. HF was defined at baseline as New York Heart Association (NYHA) I-II or III-IV. Antithrombotic therapy use and 1-year outcomes in patients with and without HF were analysed. Results: In total, 20% of patients had HF; they were older and had higher CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores compared with patients without HF. A higher proportion of patients with HF received antithrombotic therapies. The incidence of all-cause death was higher in HF patients than non-HF patients. Patients with NYHA class III-IV HF had a higher unadjusted incidence of all-cause death and stroke/SE compared with non-HF patients: 10.5 (95% confidence interval 8.8 to 12.7) vs 2.9 (2.7 to 3.2) per 100 person-years and 1.9 (1.2 to 3.0) vs 1.0 (0.8 to 1.2) per 100 person-years, respectively. Event rates slightly changed after adjustment for stroke risk factors. Conclusion: More AF patients with HF received antithrombotic therapies compared with those without HF. They also showed a higher incidence of all-cause death with increasing HF severity compared with AF patients without HF. After adjustment for stroke risk factors, this association was slightly attenuated.

Stroke and thromboembolism in atrial fibrillation: A systematic review of stroke risk factors, risk stratification schema and cost effectiveness data

2008 ◽  
Vol 99 (02) ◽  
pp. 295-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Hughes ◽  
Gregory Y. H. Lip ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Risk Stratification ◽  
Antithrombotic Therapy ◽  
Stroke Risk ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Left Ventricular ◽  
Stroke Risk Factors

SummaryThe risk of stroke in atrial fibrillation (AF) needs to be assessed in each patient to determine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of thromboprophylaxis, with the aim of appropriate use of antithrombotic therapy. To achieve this, stroke risk factors in AF populations need to be identified and stroke risk stratification models have been devised on the basis of these risk factors. In this article, we firstly provide a systematic review of studies examining the attributable stroke risk of various clinical, demographic and echocardiographic patient characteristics in AF populations. Secondly, we performed a systematic review of published stroke risk stratification models, in terms of the results of the review of stroke risk factors and their ability to accurately discriminate between different levels of stroke risk. Thirdly, we review the health economic evidence relating to the cost-effectiveness of anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy as thromboprophylaxis in AF patients. The studies included in the systematic review of stroke risk factors identified history of stroke or TIA, increasing age, hypertension and structural heart disease (left-ventricular dysfunction or hypertrophy) to be good predictors of stroke risk in AF patients. The evidence regarding diabetes mellitus, gender and other patient characteristics was less consistent. Three stroke risk stratification models were identified that were able to discriminate between different categories of stroke risk to at least 95% accuracy. Few models had addressed the cumulative nature of risk factors where a combination of risk factors would confer a greater risk than either factor alone. In patients at high risk of stroke, anticoagulation is cost effective, but not for those with a low risk of stroke. With the evidence available for stroke risk factors and the various alternative stroke risk stratification models, a review of these models in terms of the evidence on which they are devised and their performance in representative AF populations is important. The appropriate administration of thromboprophylaxis in AF patients would need to balance the risks and benefits of antithrombotic therapy with its cost-effectiveness.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document