scholarly journals Why Stroke Patients Don’t Receive T-PA? An Analysis of Patient Eligibility: Implications for Improving Clinical Impact by Increasing Future Treatment Numbers

Stroke ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 32 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. 372-372
Author(s):  
Philip A Barber ◽  
Jinijin Zhang ◽  
Andrew M Demchuk ◽  
Michael D Hill ◽  
Andrea Cole-Haskayne ◽  
...  

P183 Background T-PA is an effective treatment of acute ischemic stroke within 3 hours. However, the success of t-PA on reducing disability is dependent on it being accessible to more patients. We identified the reasons why patients with ischemic stroke did not receive intravenous t-PA and assessed the community impact of the therapy in a large North American city. Methods Consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke were identified in a prospective stroke registry at a teaching hospital between October 1996 and December 1999. Additional patients with ischemic stroke admitted to one of three other hospitals during the study period were identified. The Oxford Community Stroke Program Classification was used to record stroke type. Results Of 2165 stroke patients presenting to the emergency department 1179 (54.5%) were diagnosed with ischemic stroke, 31.7% with intracranial hemorrhage, and 13.8 % with transient ischemic attack. 84/339 (29%) patients were admitted within 3 hours of stroke received intravenous t-PA. The major reasons for exclusion for stroke patients presenting within 3 hours were mild stroke (20%), clinical improvement (18.6%), and specific protocol exclusions (11.5%). Delay in presentation to emergency department excluded 840/1179 (71%). 1817 ischemic stroke patients were admitted to Calgary hospitals during the study period of which 4.6% received intravenous t-PA. Generalization of the Calgary experience to other Canadian communities suggests the benefit from t-PA for ischemic stroke may be substantial with an additional 460 independent survivors per annum. Conclusion The effectiveness of t-PA can be improved by understanding why patients are excluded from its use. The eligibility of patients for t-PA must increase by promoting health education programs and by developing organized acute stroke care infrastructure within the community.

Stroke ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Archit Bhatt ◽  
Elizabeth Barban ◽  
Leslie Corless ◽  
Tamela Stuchiner ◽  
Amit Kansara

Background: Research has shown that subjects evaluated at (Primary Stroke Centers) PSCs are more likely to receive rt–PA than those evaluated at non–PSCs. It is unknown if telestroke evaluation affects rt-PA rates at non-PSCs. We hypothesized that with a robust telestroke system rt-TPA rates among PSCs and non-PSCs are not significantly different. Methods and Results: Data were obtained from the Providence Stroke Registry from January 2010 to December 2012. We identified ischemic stroke patients (n=3307) who received care in Oregon and Southwest Washington, which include 2 PSCs and 14 non-PSCs. Intravenous rt–PA was administered to 7.3% (n=242) of ischemic patients overall, 8.4% (n=79) at non–PSCs and 6.9% (n=163) at PSCs (p=.135). Stroke neurologists evaluated 5.2 % (n=172) of all ischemic stroke patients (n=3307) were evaluated via telestroke robot. Our analysis included AIS (Acute Ischemic Stroke) patients, those presenting within 4.5 hours of symptom onset. We identified 1070 AIS discharges from 16 hospitals of which 77.9 % (n=833) were at PSCs and 22.1 % (n=237) non-PSCs. For acute ischemic stroke patients (AIS) patients, those presenting within 4.5 hours of symptom onset, 22.1% (n=237) received rt-PA; 21.5% (n=74) presented at non–PSCs and 23.7% (n=163) presented at PSCs. Among AIS, bivariate analysis showed significant differences in treatment rates by race, age, NIHSS at admit, previous stroke or TIA, PVD, use of robot, smoking and time from patient arrival to CT completed. Using multiple logistic regression adjusting for these variables, treatment was significantly related to admit NIHSS (AOR=1.67, p<.001), history of stroke (AOR=.323, p<.001), TIA (AOR=.303, p=.01) and PVD (AOR=.176, p=.02), time to CT (.971, p<.001), and use of robot (7.76, p<.001). PSC designation was not significantly related to treatment (p=.06). Conclusions: Through the use of a robust telestroke system, there are no significant differences in the TPA treatment rates between non-PSC and PSC facilities. Telestroke systems can ensure stroke patients access to acute stroke care at non-PSC hospitals.


Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolle W Davis ◽  
Meghan Bailey ◽  
Natalie Buchwald ◽  
Amreen Farooqui ◽  
Anna Khanna

Background/Objective: There is growing importance on discovering factors that delay time to intervention for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients, as rapid intervention remains essential for better patient outcomes. The management of these patients involves a multidisciplinary effort and quality improvement initiatives to safely increase treatment with intravenous thrombolytic (IV tPa). The objective of this pilot is to evaluate factors of acute stroke care in the emergency department (ED) and the impact they have on IV tPa administration. Methods: A sample of 89 acute ischemic stroke patients that received IV tPa from a single academic medical institution was selected for retrospective analysis. System characteristics (presence of a stroke nurse and time of day) and patient characteristics (mode of arrival and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (NIHSS) on arrival) were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression to address the study question. Results: The mean door to needle time is 53.74 minutes ( + 38.06) with 74.2% of patients arriving to the ED via emergency medical services (EMS) and 25.8% having a stroke nurse present during IV tPa administration. Mode of arrival ( p = .001) and having a stroke nurse present ( p = .022) are significant predictors of door to needle time in the emergency department (ED). Conclusion: While many factors can influence door to needle times in the ED, we did not find NIHSS on arrival or time of day to be significant factors. Patients arriving to the ED by personal vehicle will have a significant delay in IV tPa administration, therefore emphasizing the importance of using EMS. Perhaps more importantly, collaborative efforts including the addition of a specialized stroke nurse significantly decreased time to IV tPa administration for AIS patients. With this dedicated role, accelerated triage and more effective management of AIS patients is accomplished, leading to decreased intervention times and potentially improving patient outcomes.


Author(s):  
Zhenzhen Rao ◽  
Zixiao Li ◽  
Hongqiu Gu ◽  
Yilong Wang ◽  
Yongjun Wang

Background: Intravenous Thrombolysis with Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator (rt-PA) availability at Chinese hospitals varies and may affect care quality for acute ischemic stroke patients. Limited research has shown whether there were differences in quality of care at China National Stroke Registry (CNSR II) hospitals based on rt-PA capability. Methods: For acute ischemic stroke patients admitted to CNSR II hospitals between 2012 and 2013, care quality at hospitals with or without Intravenous rt-PA capability was examined by evaluating conformity with performance and quality measures. The primary outcome was guideline-concordant care, defined as compliance with 10 predefined individual guideline-recommended performance metrics and composite score. A composite score was defined as the total number of interventions actually performed among eligible patients divided by the total number of recommended interventions among eligible patients. Propensity score matching was used to balance the baseline characteristics. We used cox model with shared frailty model and logistic regression with generalized estimating equation to compare the relationship between hospitals with rt-PA capability and hospitals without rt-PA on quality measures. Results: This study included 19604 acute ischemic stroke patients admitted to 219 CNSR II hospitals. Before matching, there were 7928 patients admitted to 86 (40.4%) hospitals with rt-PA capability and 11676 patients admitted to 133 (59.6%) hospitals without rt-PA capability. After matching, 7606 pairs of patients in rt-PA-capable hospitals and rt-PA-incapable hospitals were analyzed. Before matching, the composite score of guideline-concordant process of care was higher at hospitals with rt-PA capability than hospitals without rt-PA capability (74% versus 73%, P=0.0126). Hospitals with rt-PA capability were more likely to perform deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis within 48 hours of admission, dysphagia screening, assessment or receiving of rehabilitation, discharge antithrombotic, anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation and medications for lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) ≥100mg/dL. But hospitals with rt-PA capability were less likely to perform antithrombotic medication within 48 hours of admission and hypoglycemic therapy at discharge for patients with diabetes. After matching, differences of stroke care quality between hospitals with rt-PA capability and without rt-PA capability still exist after adjusting covariates. Conclusions: The CNSR II hospitals were associated with better performance in some of the hospitals but not all of them. The difference in conformity between rt-PA-capable hospitals and rt-PA-incapable hospitals was modest for performance measures of stroke care. However, more room for improvement still exists in key quality performance measures and further studies should be explored.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 01-09
Author(s):  
Wengui Yu

Background: Despite proven efficacy of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in acute ischemic stroke, there has been slow administration of these therapies in the real world practice. We examined the ongoing quality improvement in acute stroke care at our comprehensive stroke center. Methods: Consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke from 2013 to 2018 were studied. Patients were managed using Code Stroke algorithm per concurrent AHA guidelines and a simple quality improvement protocol implemented in 2015. Demographics and clinical data were collected from Get-With-The-Guideline-Stroke registry and electronic medical records. Patients were divided into 3 groups per admission and implementation date of quality improvement initiatives. Quality measures, including rates of intravenous tPA and EVT, door-to-needle (DTN) time, and door-to-puncture (DTP) time, were analyzed with general mean linear regression models and Jonckheere-Terpstra test. Results: Of the 1,369 eligible patients presenting within 24 hours of symptom onset or wakeup stroke, the rate of intravenous tPA was 20%, 30% and 22%, respectively, in 2013-2014, 2015-2016, and 2017-2018. In contrast, EVT rate was 9%, 14% and 15%, respectively. Based on Jonckheere-Terpstra test, there was significant ongoing improvement in the median DTN time (57, 45, 39 minutes; p < 0.001) and DTP time (172, 130, 114 minutes; p =0.009) during the 3 time periods, with DTN time ≤ 60 and ≤45 minutes in 80% and 63% patients, respectively, in 2017-2018. Conclusions: Getting with the guidelines and simple quality improvement initiatives are associated with satisfactory rates of acute stroke therapy and ongoing improvement in door to treatment times.


Stroke ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Vicini-Parra ◽  
Jenny Ospina ◽  
Cristian Correa ◽  
Natalia Gomez ◽  
Stephania Bohorquez ◽  
...  

Introduction: A prospective stroke database was implemented as part of a still-growing comprehensive stroke centre (CSC). This CSC is located within a referral public hospital (Hospital Occidente de Kennedy) in Bogota DC, Colombia , that serves 2.3 million people of mainly low economic income. In this abstract, we present the data pertaining patients who were thrombolysed in our institution during the first year of data collection, and specify onset-to-door (OTD) times as they relate to the means of transportation used. Hypothesis: Acute stroke patients who arrive in ambulance have the shortest onset-to-door times. Methods: Printed forms were filled for every patient who arrived with diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Data was transcribed to an electronic database (Numbers, Apple Inc.) and analyzed with SPSS Statistics version 23 (IBM Corporation). A retrospective descriptive analysis was performed for central tendency and dispersion measures. Results: Since August 1st 2014 until July 31st 2015, 39 patients (17.7% of AIS patients) were thrombolysed. Mean onset-to-door times are shown in table 1. Prenotification was received for only 1 patient. All patients came from their homes. Conclusions: Almost half of our thrombolysed patients arrived in taxi to our institution. Taxi was the fastest means of transportation, ambulance was the slowest and private cars were in the middle of those. This confirmed our suspicion that the state-owned emergency medical services (SEMD) are suboptimal and that stroke patients prefer to use public transportation rather than SEMD. This should warn public health authorities on he urgent need to improve our SEMD. In the meantime, this finding prompts us to include taxi drivers in our periodic stroke campaigns.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 949-984 ◽  
Author(s):  
JM Boulanger ◽  
MP Lindsay ◽  
G Gubitz ◽  
EE Smith ◽  
G Stotts ◽  
...  

The 2018 update of the Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations for Acute Stroke Management, 6th edition, is a comprehensive summary of current evidence-based recommendations, appropriate for use by healthcare providers and system planners caring for persons with very recent symptoms of acute stroke or transient ischemic attack. The recommendations are intended for use by a interdisciplinary team of clinicians across a wide range of settings and highlight key elements involved in prehospital and Emergency Department care, acute treatments for ischemic stroke, and acute inpatient care. The most notable changes included in this 6th edition are the renaming of the module and its integration of the formerly separate modules on prehospital and emergency care and acute inpatient stroke care. The new module, Acute Stroke Management: Prehospital, Emergency Department, and Acute Inpatient Stroke Care is now a single, comprehensive module addressing the most important aspects of acute stroke care delivery. Other notable changes include the removal of two sections related to the emergency management of intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage. These topics are covered in a new, dedicated module, to be released later this year. The most significant recommendation updates are for neuroimaging; the extension of the time window for endovascular thrombectomy treatment out to 24 h; considerations for treating a highly selected group of people with stroke of unknown time of onset; and recommendations for dual antiplatelet therapy for a limited duration after acute minor ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack. This module also emphasizes the need for increased public and healthcare provider’s recognition of the signs of stroke and immediate actions to take; the important expanding role of paramedics and all emergency medical services personnel; arriving at a stroke-enabled Emergency Department without delay; and launching local healthcare institution code stroke protocols. Revisions have also been made to the recommendations for the triage and assessment of risk of recurrent stroke after transient ischemic attack/minor stroke and suggested urgency levels for investigations and initiation of management strategies. The goal of this updated guideline is to optimize stroke care across Canada, by reducing practice variations and reducing the gap between current knowledge and clinical practice.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 254-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Prvu Bettger ◽  
Zixiao Li ◽  
Ying Xian ◽  
Liping Liu ◽  
Xingquan Zhao ◽  
...  

Background Stroke rehabilitation improves functional recovery among stroke patients. However, little is known about clinical practice in China regarding the assessment and provision of rehabilitation among patients with acute ischemic stroke. Aims We examined the frequency and determinants of an assessment for rehabilitation among acute ischemic stroke patients from the China National Stroke Registry II. Methods Data for 19,294 acute ischemic stroke patients admitted to 219 hospitals from June 2012 to January 2013 were analyzed. The multivariable logistic regression model with the generalized estimating equation method accounting for in-hospital clustering was used to identify patient and hospital factors associated with having a rehabilitation assessment during the acute hospitalization. Results Among 19,294 acute ischemic stroke patients, 11,451 (59.4%) were assessed for rehabilitation. Rates of rehabilitation assessment varied among 219 hospitals (IQR 41.4% vs 81.5%). In the multivariable analysis, factors associated with increased likelihood of a rehabilitation assessment ( p < 0.05) included disability prior to stroke, higher NIHSS on admission, receipt of a dysphagia screen, deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis, carotid vessel imaging, longer length of stay, and treatment at a hospital with a higher number of hospital beds (per 100 units). In contrast, patients with a history of atrial fibrillation and hospitals with higher number of annual stroke discharges (per 100 patients) were less likely to receive rehabilitation assessment during the acute stroke hospitalization. Conclusions Rehabilitation assessment among acute ischemic stroke patients was suboptimal in China. Rates varied considerably among hospitals and support the need to improve adherence to recommended care for stroke survivors.


Stroke ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregg C Fonarow ◽  
Eric E Smith ◽  
Xin Zhao ◽  
Eric D Peterson ◽  
Ying Xian ◽  
...  

Background: The benefits of intravenous tissue-plasminogen activator (tPA) in acute ischemic stroke are time-dependent and several strategies have been reported to be associated with more rapid door-to-needle (DTN) times. However, the extent to which hospitals are utilizing these strategies has not been well studied. Methods: We surveyed 304 hospitals joining Target: Stroke regarding their baseline use of strategies to reduce door-to-needle times in the 1/2008-2/2010 timeframe (prior to the initiation of Target: Stroke). The survey was developed based on literature review and expert consensus for strategies identified as being associated with shorter DTN times and further refined after pilot testing. Categorical responses are reported as frequencies. Results: Hospitals participating in the survey were 50% academic, median 163 (IQR 106-247) ischemic stroke admissions per year, median 10 (IQR 6-17) tPA treated patients per year, and had median 79 minute (IQR 71-89) DTN times. By survey, 214 of 304 hospitals (70%) reported initiating or revising strategies to reduce DTN times in the prior 2 years. Reported use of the different strategies varied in frequency, with use of ischemic stroke critical pathways, CT scanner located in the Emergency Department, and tPA being stored in the Emergency Department being the strategies least frequently employed (Table). As part of Target: Stroke participation, 279 of 304 hospitals (91.5%) indicated they planned to have a dedicated team focused on reducing DTN times. Conclusions: While most US hospitals participating in this survey report use of the strategies to improve the timeliness of tPA administration for acute ischemic stroke, significant variation exists. Further research is needed to understand which of these strategies are most effective in improving acute ischemic stroke care.


Stroke ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerrin Connelly ◽  
Rishi Gupta ◽  
Raul Nogueira ◽  
Arthur Yancey ◽  
Alexander Isakov ◽  
...  

Purpose: To standardize the care of acute stroke patients who receive IV tPA being transported by ground EMS from a treating hospital to a stroke center. Background: National consensus guidelines exist for the hospital management of patients receiving IV tPA for acute ischemic stroke. Such patients require close monitoring and management to minimize risk of clinical deterioration. Although patients are often emergently transported from local hospitals to a stroke center, there are no treatment specific national guidelines for managing such patients enroute. As a result, there is a need to develop and implement a standardized approach to guide EMS personnel, particularly in states like Georgia where the public health burden of stroke is high. Methods: In 2012, the “Georgia EMS Interfacility Ground Transport Protocol for Patients during/after IV tPA Administration for Acute Ischemic Stroke” was developed in conjunction with the Georgia Coverdell Acute Stroke Registry, the Georgia State Office of EMS, a representative group of Georgia hospitals and EMS providers. Stakeholders were brought together with the goal of creating a unified statewide protocol. The intent was to create a streamlined protocol which could be readily implemented by pre-hospital care providers. Results: Stakeholders discussed challenges and opportunities to change the process of pre-hospital care. Challenges included recognition of the broad diversity of EMS providers representing over 250 agencies in the state. Opportunities included establishing the framework for greater collaboration across organizations and providers. The final protocol was endorsed by both the Georgia Coverdell Acute Stroke Registry and the State Office of EMS, and distributed to all EMS regions in Georgia. EMS agencies are currently implementing the protocol. Conclusion: Engaging a diverse group of statewide stakeholders to develop a new treatment protocol enhances success in implementation and serves to further the public health mission of improving care of acute stroke patients.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Scalise ◽  
Jordan Gainey ◽  
Benjamin Bailes ◽  
Leanne Brecthtel ◽  
Zachary Conn ◽  
...  

Abstract Background. The purpose of this study was to develop models to predict the recovery of ambulatory functions taking into account the capability of the motor system to functionally reorganize in response to thrombolysis therapy. Methods. We predicted ambulatory functions recovery using retrospective data from a stroke registry of acute ischemic stroke patients who received thrombolysis therapy. Multivariate regression was used to construct the models. Multicollinearity and significant interactions were examined using variance inflation factors, while a Cox & Snell classification were applied to check the fitness of each model. Results. The models correctly predicted clinical variables that were associated with an improvement or non-improvement in functional ambulatory outcome. Broca’s aphasia (OR = 2.270, P = 0.002, CI =1.34-3.83) was associated with improved functional outcome at discharge, while patients aged 80 years or older (OR = 0.942, P = <0.001, CI =0.92-0.96), patients with congestive heart failure (OR = 0.496, P = 0.040, CI = 0.25-0.97), higher NIHSS (OR=0.876, P = 0.001, CI = 0.80-0.95), taking antihypertensive medication (OR = 0.436, P = 0.023, CI = 0.21-0.89) were not associated with improved ambulatory functional outcome with thrombolysis. The discriminating ability for the model was 74.2% for the total population, 71.7% for the rtPA group, and 72.2% for the no-rtPA group indicating strong performance. Conclusion. Prognostic models that can predict improved functional ambulatory outcome in thrombolysis therapy can be beneficial in the care of stroke patients. Our models predicted improved functional recovery of Broca’s aphasia after thrombolysis therapy, suggesting a future potential to evaluate motor speech area after stroke.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document