Abstract 166: DTN-TIMES: Telemedicine versus Comprehensive Stroke Center IV-tPA Time Metric Study—Southern California Kaiser Permanente and University of Texas Houston Telestroke Network Experience

Background: The Joint Commission (TJC) Comprehensive Stroke Center standard requires monitoring of patients after IV tPA administration, diagnostic angiography, aneurysm coiling, carotid angioplasty and stenting, mechanical endovascular reperfusion (MER) and carotid endarterectomy. Meeting 100% compliance of the standard is challenging. In 2018, monitoring and documentation were among the TJC’s top ten cited survey findings. Purpose: To determine if an electronic tool can improve documentation compliance and reduce delays in monitoring of vital signs, and neurologic, pedal pulse and skin site assessments. Methods: The initiative was implemented in 2018 with the objective for all patients to have 100% of their post procedural monitoring completed. A documentation tool was created and introduced to nursing units via annual stroke education updates. The tool was added to an online nursing resource SharePoint website and application, which was accessible to all nurses within the hospital. The procedure end time was entered in the tool, which automatically calculated the documentation times. Data was compared 12 months pre and post intervention. Analysis and reporting of data were conducted monthly via the program’s quality oversight committee. Data was analyzed using T-Test. Results: In post-IV tPA patients, more patients had 100% complete documentation (79% post vs. 29% pre-implementation; p=0.006). For all post neuro-interventional radiology procedures, more patients had 100% complete documentation (68% post vs. 17% pre-implementation; p<0.001). For post carotid endarterectomy revascularization, there was a trend toward more patients with 100% complete documentation (83% vs 38%; p=0.07). Conclusion: Utilization of an electronic monitoring tool for post procedural documentation adherence can improve the percentage of patients who have 100% completed assessments and help meet the TJC standard.

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Abstract W P308: A Four-Year Experience of Symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage Rate Following Intravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator at a Comprehensive Stroke Center

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.46.suppl_1.wp308 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 46 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Jeffrey C Wagner ◽

Alessandro Orlando ◽

Christopher V Fanale ◽

Michelle Whaley ◽

Kathryn L McCarthy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intracranial Hemorrhage ◽

High Volume ◽

Stroke Severity ◽

Chi Square ◽

Arrival Times ◽

Intravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator ◽

Symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage ◽

Comprehensive Stroke Center ◽

Stroke Center ◽

Iv Tpa

OBJECTIVE: To describe the 4-year symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) rate at a high-volume comprehensive stroke center. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational cohort study. All admitted adult (≥18 years) patients presenting with an ischemic stroke (IS) from 2010 to 2013 were included in this study. Chi-square, Wilcoxon rank-sum, Student’s t-tests and Cochran-Armitage trend tests were used to compare groups and analyze data. sICHs were defined by a 4-point increase in NIHSS within 36h with new ICH seen on CT; sICHs were included only if they were directly related to IV-tPA treatment. Favorable mRS outcome was defined as a score ≤2. In-patient stroke alerts were excluded from door-to-needle (DTN) times. RESULTS: 2673 patients were admitted with IS. Of these, 627 (23%) were treated with IV-tPA (90% <3h from symptom onset, 69% at an outside facility). There was a significant increase in the percentage of IS patients treated with IV-tPA over the four years (p-trend=0.02). Compared to patients not receiving IV/IA therapy, patients receiving IV-tPA had significantly higher NIHSS scores, higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation, hyperlipidemia, and cardioembolic etiology, and lower proportion of small vessel occlusive IS. The median (IQR) DTN was 41m (32-53). In the 627 IS patients treated with IV-tPA, 11 (1.8%) developed a sICH; in 2013, the sICH rate was 0.6% (1/158). IV-tPA patients who developed a sICH were similar to those who were sICH-free; however, sICH patients had a significantly higher proportion of coronary artery disease (p=0.04) and severe strokes (p=0.19), and higher median symptom to arrival times (237m vs 187m, p=0.19), but similar median DTN (40m vs 41m, p=0.84). The in-hospital mortality rate for the IV-tPA group was 11% (n=71), and 37% had favorable mRS discharge scores. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that expeditious care and careful selection of patients for IV-tPA treatment can lead to very low rates of sICHs. The few sICHs subsequent to IV-tPA are likely to be a consequence of long symptom-to-arrival times and stroke severity.

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Abstract TMP69: Incidence of Intracranial Hemorrhage After Intravenous Thrombolysis in Telestroke

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.48.suppl_1.tmp69 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Nabeel A Herial ◽

Evan M Fitchett ◽

Maureen DePrince ◽

Giuliana Labella ◽

Kimon Bekelis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intracranial Hemorrhage ◽

Intravenous Thrombolysis ◽

Study Data ◽

Hemorrhagic Complication ◽

Stroke Outcomes ◽

Intravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator ◽

Comprehensive Stroke Center ◽

Stroke Center ◽

Iv Tpa

Background: Promoting intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA) in treating eligible patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is critical in reducing overall stroke burden. Effective telestroke networks are proven to facilitate higher rates of IV tPA use. Increasing data on stroke outcomes continues to emerge with expansion of telestroke services nationwide. Objective: To estimate the incidence of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in AIS patients treated with IV tPA via telestroke evaluation. Methods: In this study, data from a large telestroke network comprising 36 hospitals from 3 States and associated with a university-based health system and comprehensive stroke center was utilized. Data included total of 3198 acute telestroke evaluations performed within the network between January 2014 and June 2016. Distance of spoke hospitals from the hub ranged between 2.5 and 125 miles. All telestroke consultations were done using the remote presence robotic technology. 15% of all telestroke evaluations and 51% of post-IV tPA patients were transferred to the hub. CT imaging was used for identification and ICH as defined mainly in the NINDS trial was used for comparison. Results: Mean age of patients was 67 years (sd=16) and majority were women (n=1759, 55%). Average NIHSS score at presentation was 7. IV tPA was administered to 18% of all telestroke patients. Post IV tPA, any ICH (symptomatic or not) was noted in 8.7% of patients. Petechial hemorrhage was most frequently reported finding. Rate of any ICH in our telestroke population was relatively lower compared to the ECASS II (39%, p<0.001), ECASS III (27%, p<0.001), SITS-MOST (9.6%, p=0.63), ATLANTIS (11.4%, p=0.30), and higher than the NINDS (6.4%, p=0.29). Conclusions: Higher rate of IV tPA use and lower rate of hemorrhagic complication observed in this large study further supports and strengthens the role of telestroke technology and expertise in treatment of AIS.

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Abstract 1122‐000091: Predictors of Symptomatic Hemorrhagic Transformation After Mechanical Thrombectomy in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Stroke: Vascular and Interventional Neurology ◽

10.1161/svin.01.suppl_1.000091 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (S1) ◽

Author(s):

Anqi Luo ◽

Agnelio Cardenas ◽

Lee A Birnbaum

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Mechanical Thrombectomy ◽

Standard Of Care ◽

Hemorrhagic Transformation ◽

Current Standard ◽

Vessel Occlusion ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Comprehensive Stroke Center ◽

Stroke Center ◽

Iv Tpa

Introduction : Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) has become the current standard of care for large vessel occlusion stroke but is associated with an increased risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Although several studies have investigated the risk factors, there is still limited, not well‐established data. This study aims to evaluate the risk factors of HT after MT. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed all MT patients who were treated at a single comprehensive stroke center from 12/2016 to 7/2019. Variables included initial NIHSS, blood glucose, initial systolic blood pressure, age, gender, IV tPA, time from door to recanalization, and TICI score. Outcome measures were HT on post‐procedure or 24‐hour post‐tPA head CT/MRI as well as modified Rankin scale (mRS) upon discharge. Results : Among 74 patients (68.8 ± 14 years, men 47.3%), 9 (12.2%) experienced hemorrhagic transformation after thrombectomy. Average admitting NIHSS was significantly higher in the HT group (22 vs 16.8, p = 0.041). TICI 3 after MT was protective for HT (OR 0.078, 95% CI 0.009‐0.663). IV tPA (OR 3.86, 95% CI 1.448‐10.326) was associated with good neurological outcome at discharge (mRS < = 2), but HT was not (OR 0.114, 95% CI 0.013‐0.964). Patients with mRS < = 2 upon discharge were younger (65.2±12 vs 71.9±15, p = 0.04) and had lower initial BG (124±45.8 vs 157±69.6, P = 0.02). Conclusions : TICI 3 score, decreased NIHSS, and lower BG were associated with less HT and better outcomes in our MT cohort. Admitting NIHSS > = 20 may be a reasonable threshold to predict HT after MT. Our findings are consistent with the TICI‐ASPECTS‐glucose (TAG) score to predict sICH; however, we used initial NIHSS as a surrogate for ASPECTS. Further studies may utilize additional quantitative measures such as CTP data to predict HT.

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How a CT-Direct Protocol at an American Comprehensive Stroke Center Led to Door-to-Needle Times Less Than 30 Minutes

The Neurohospitalist ◽

10.1177/1941874416672783 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 70-73 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lisa M. Caputo ◽

Judd Jensen ◽

Michelle Whaley ◽

Mark J. Kozlowski ◽

Christopher V. Fanale ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Implementation Process ◽

Evaluation Process ◽

Protocol Implementation ◽

Time Treatment ◽

Intravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator ◽

Before And After ◽

Symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage ◽

Comprehensive Stroke Center ◽

Stroke Center ◽

Iv Tpa

Background and Purpose: The safety and efficacy of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA) following acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is dependent on its timely administration. In 2014, our Comprehensive Stroke Center designed and implemented a computed tomography-Direct protocol to streamline the evaluation process of suspected patients with AIS, with the aim of reducing door-to-needle (DTN) times. The objectives of our study were to describe the protocol development and implementation process, and to compare DTN times and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) rates before and after protocol implementation. Methods: Data were prospectively collected for patients with AIS receiving IV tPA between January 1, 2010, and May 31, 2015. The DTN times, examined as median times and time treatment windows, and sICH rates were compared pre- and postimplementation. Results: Two hundred ninety-five patients were included in the study. After protocol implementation, median DTN times were significantly reduced (38 vs 28 minutes; P < .001). The distribution of patients treated in the three time treatment windows described below changed significantly, with an increase in patients with DTN times of 30 minutes or less, and a decrease in patients with DTN times 31 to 60 minutes and over 60 minutes ( P < .001). There were two cases of sICH prior to implementation and one sICH case postimplementation. Conclusions: The implementation of a protocol that streamlined the processing of suspected patients with AIS significantly reduced DTN time without negatively impacting patient safety.

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Abstract T P3: Safety of Eptifibatide after Full Dose IV tPA and Endovascular Treatment for Ischemic Stroke

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.46.suppl_1.tp3 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 46 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Jawad F Kirmani ◽

Daniel Korya ◽

Grace Choi ◽

Jaskiran Brar ◽

Harina Chahal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Endovascular Treatment ◽

Favorable Outcome ◽

Stroke Severity ◽

Categorical Data Analysis ◽

Exact Test ◽

Full Dose ◽

Comprehensive Stroke Center ◽

Stroke Center ◽

Iv Tpa

Background and Objective: The safety of eptifibatide in combination with IV tPA for ischemic stroke has recently been demonstrated in the CLEAR-ER trial which used .6 mg/kg IV tPA plus eptifibatide (135 mcg/kg bolus and .75mcg/kg/min two-hour infusion) versus standard tPA (.9 mg/kg). Prior studies have also looked into the combination of intra-arterial (IA) tPA and eptifibatide at dosing and duration similar to cardiology literature. Our aim was to compare the safety and efficacy of eptifibatide after full dose IV tPA and endovascular treatment versus full dose IV tPA and endovascular treatment alone. Materials and Methods: We reviewed the records and procedure reports of patients who underwent endovascular treatment for ischemic stroke from 2010-2013 at a university affiliated comprehensive stroke center. Patients who received full dose IV tPA (.9 mg/kg) followed by endovascular treatment were compared with those who had the same treatment, but also received a bolus of 135 mcg/kg of eptifibatide followed by a .5 mcg/kg/min for 20 hours (based on IMPACT-II trial protocol). The initial and discharge NIH Stroke Scale as well as the discharge mRS (DCmRS) were evaluated. A DCmRS of 0 or 1 was considered a favorable outcome, and 2 or more was considered as a unfavorable. Initial stroke severity (NIHSS) was analyzed with logistic regression for baseline comparison and Fisher’s exact test were used for categorical data analysis. Results: We evaluated 2,016 patients with ischemic stroke, of which 230 received IV tPA and 91 (55% female) underwent endovascular treatment, 44 of them also received eptifibatide. Of the 44 patients who received eptifibatide (bolus and 20 hour infusion), 18% (n=8) had a favorable outcome, and in the group that did not receive eptifibatide , 9% (n=4) had a favorable outcome (OR=2.389, 95% CI 0.6645 to 8.589, p= 0.2217). Conclusion: Eptifibatide in combination with full dose IV tPA and endovascular treatment did not increase morbidity in our patient population, and may have improved outcome. Further, larger trials need to be conducted for more definitive results.

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Abstract 32: Intravenous Tpa Delays Door-to-puncture Time in Acute Ischemic Stroke With Large Vessel Occlusion

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.51.suppl_1.32 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Kunakorn Atchaneeyasakul ◽

Shashvat Desai ◽

Jay Dolia ◽

Kavit Shah ◽

Merritt Brown ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽

Empirical Studies ◽

Large Vessel ◽

Large Vessel Occlusion ◽

Vessel Occlusion ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Comprehensive Stroke Center ◽

Stroke Center ◽

Iv Tpa

Background: The current 2018 AHA/ASA Guidelines for early stroke management recommend use of IV tPA in all eligible acute ischemic stroke patients within 4.5 hours of onset while being considered for mechanical thrombectomy (MT). Whether or not tPA administration is beneficial prior to thrombectomy is still an ongoing debate. Potential delay of MT initiation due to tPA start is a major concern but has not been well-delineated in empirical studies. Methods: In a prospective large volume comprehensive stroke center registry, we analyzed all patients with acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion (AIS-LVO) treated with thrombectomy between 2012-2017, who arrived directly from field to ED within 4.5h of last known well. Patients without contraindication to IV-tPA are given bolus dose in the scanner suite and the remainder of the 1h infusion en route to and in the angio-suite to prevent delay. Results: Among 777 thrombectomy patients identified in the database, 237 arrived directly within 4.5 hours from onset, including 65.8% (156) not treated with IV-tPA and 34.2% (81) receiving IV-tPA, both well-matched in age and NIHSS. Overall, the door-to-needle (DTN) time was 40m (IQR31-56), surpassing the Target Stroke national targets (60m and 45m) active during the study period. However, median door-to-puncture (DTP) time was 22m longer in the IV-tPA group, 74 vs 52m (p<0.001). IV-tPA was not independently associated with better recanalization rate (TICI 2B-3 95.9% vs 92.9%) or functional independent outcome (modified Rankin score 0-2) at 90 days, 37.3% vs 39.4%. Conclusion: IV-tPA administration in AIS-LVO was associated with delayed door-to-puncture times in a comprehensive stroke center with efficient DTN times surpassing advanced national targets, without change in recanalization rate or outcomes. Randomized trials are needed to determine the net positive, neutral, or negative effect of IV-tPA in this population.

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Abstract WP124: Ataste 2: Assessment of Anti-Hypertensive Treatment and Acute Stroke Treatment Efficiency 2

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.51.suppl_1.wp124 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Brian Sorace ◽

Brett Meyer ◽

Dawn Meyer ◽

Kunal Agrawal

Keyword(s):

Small Sample Size ◽

Small Sample ◽

Stroke Treatment ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Blood Pressures ◽

Pre Treatment ◽

Comprehensive Stroke Center ◽

Stroke Center ◽

Cerebral Reperfusion ◽

Iv Tpa

Introduction: Treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with tPA must be rapid for timely cerebral reperfusion. Anti-hypertensive (AHT) medication may be required to lower blood pressures prior to tPA. Optimal AHT use and its impact on tPA times is unclear. We examined treatment with IV bolus only (IVB), IV continuous infusion only (IVCI), or both bolus and infusion (BBI) AHTs on door-to-needle time (DTN) in AIS patients eligible for IV tPA. We hypothesized that 1) DTN would be significantly longer in patients requiring IV AHT before treatment and 2) DTN would be significantly lower in patients treated with IVCI compared to IVB or BBI. Methods: We analyzed all stroke codes who received IV tPA at our comprehensive stroke center from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2019. Subjects were grouped by those that required IV AHT prior to IV tPA (med+tPA) and those that did not (no-med+tPA). The three medication groups were IVB, IVCI, or BBI. Variables examined were initial and immediate pre-treatment blood pressures, NIHSS, mRS, and initial blood glucose. The primary outcome was DTN between groups. Results: Overall, 288 patients were included in the analysis. Approximately 12% (n=35) of patients required IV AHTs before tPA. There was a significant difference between the med+tPA and no-med+tPA groups in 1) median NIHSS (12.5, 10; p=0.040) and initial mean glucose (142, 122.5; p<0.001), respectively. DTN was significantly longer in med+tPA vs no-med+tPA mean (77.5 min, 56.4 min; p=0.036). Systolic blood pressures (SBP) were significantly higher in patients requiring AHT treatment (initial SBP: med+tPA 175.5 mmHg, no-med-tPA 144.1 mmHg, p=0.001). There was no difference in DTN between IVB, IVCI, or BBI groups when compared to the no-med+tPA group (p=0.351, 1.000, & 0.997). There was no difference in the 90-day mRS between IVB, IVCI, or BBI compared to control (p=0.236, 0.339, & 0.326). Conclusions: Fewer patients required AHT than expected suggesting lower rates of baseline hypertension in our region. Type of AHT agent used did not significantly impact DTN. This may be due to the small sample size of patients receiving blood pressure medication prior to tPA in this study. Further prospective studies are needed to examine the optimal AHT treatment modality on DTN.

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Abstract TP22: Outcomes After Endovascular Therapy in a Population With Mild Acute Ischemic Stroke: A 6.5 Year Observational Cohort Study at a High Volume Comprehensive Stroke Center

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.48.suppl_1.tp22 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Donald Frei ◽

Alessandro Orlando ◽

Richard Bellon ◽

Jeffrey Wagner ◽

Christopher V Fanale ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Patient Outcomes ◽

Randomized Clinical Trials ◽

High Volume ◽

Vessel Occlusion ◽

Meaningful Improvement ◽

Early Symptom ◽

Observational Cohort ◽

Comprehensive Stroke Center ◽

Stroke Center ◽

Iv Tpa

Introduction: Despite suffering mild acute ischemic strokes (AIS, NIHSS≤7), patients have a non-zero risk of significant morbidity and mortality. Intra-arterial therapy (IAT) is clearly effective in non-mild AIS, but mild AISs have been excluded from IAT trials, limiting our understanding of their outcomes after IAT. The objective of this study was to report on patient outcomes in a mild AIS population who received IAT. Methods: We included all adults (≥18) with a mild AIS admitted over 6.5 years to a high-volume comprehensive stroke center and who received IAT. Patients were excluded for any contraindication to IAT (n=240). Outcomes were symptomatic ICH (sICH), in-hospital mortality, discharge mRS ≤2, and an improvement in NIHSS at discharge (>2 vs ≤2). Results: There were 55 patients included in the study (Table 1). Overall, patients were predominately aged 55-79 years, admitted with an NIHSS 4-7, or had hypertension. 72% of patients either had a cardioembolic or large vessel occlusion (LVO), and 73% arrived either 0h to 4.5h, or >6h to <12h from symptom onset. 15 patients also received IV-tPA. There were no sICHs. Mortality was 9%; a majority of deaths were in males, patients with ages 55-79, LVOs, or an early symptom to arrival time. 42% of patients showed a 3-point improvement in NIHSS at discharge; a majority of these patients were white, aged 55-79, or had hyperlipidemia. Ultimately, 45% were discharged with an mRS ≥2. There were no cerebral artery perforations or groin complications. Conclusions: These data highlight the safety of IAT in patients with mild AIS, mirroring the results seen in recent large randomized clinical trials showing efficacy of IAT in the non-mild AIS population. Patients in our study had a non-existent risk of sICH, and a mortality rate similar to literature examining IV-tPA administration in patients with mild AIS. Furthermore, a large proportion of patients showed a clinically meaningful improvement in NIHSS, or were discharged with a favorable mRS.

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Abstract WP198: Is There a "Smoker's Paradox" in Acute Reperfusion Therapies?

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.47.suppl_1.wp198 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 47 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Reza Bavarsad Shahripour ◽

John P Donnelly ◽

Harn Shiue ◽

Alissa Gadpaille ◽

Kanika Arora ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Logistic Regression ◽

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Favorable Outcome ◽

Modified Rankin Scale ◽

Nihss Score ◽

Paradoxical Finding ◽

Comprehensive Stroke Center ◽

Stroke Center ◽

Iv Tpa

Background & Purpose: Recent studies have suggested a “smoker’s paradox,” referring to higher recanalization rates and better outcomes after IV thrombolytic therapy for ischemic stroke in smokers compared to nonsmokers. Our goal was to evaluate whether this paradox exists for both IV and endovascular therapies (ET) in our population. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated consecutive AIS patients (March 2014-April 2015) admitted to our comprehensive stroke center. Patients were stratified by treatment: IV tPA, ET, or neither. The primary endpoint was the modified Rankin scale (mRS) at discharge (“favorable outcome” score 0- 2) analyzed by logistic regression adjusted for demographic factors and admission NIHSS score. Successful reperfusion after ET was classified as Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (TICI) scores of 2b or greater on immediate angiographic imaging. Results: Of 765 patients, 29 % were smokers (n= 222) including 63 % white (Table). Among smokers, 15% received tPA and 3% of patients received ET. Among nonsmokers 14% received tPA and 6% received ET. There was no difference in favorable outcome between smokers and nonsmokers in patients treated with tPA (60.6% vs. 52.6%; P= 0.43) or ET (26% vs. 40.0%; P= 0.325). There was no difference between smokers and nonsmokers in re-canalization after ET (70.6 % vs. 70.0%; P= 0.62). In patients without tPA or ET treatment, favorable outcome was more frequent in smokers compared to nonsmokers (66.5% vs. 47.8 %; P< 0.001). In a regression model adjusted for admission NIHSS, age, gender, and race, the prevalence of good outcome in smokers was 18% more than nonsmokers. (PR 1.177; 95% CI: 1.021 - 1.409). Conclusions: Our study did not support presence of the “Smoker’s Paradox” in AIS patients who receive IV or ET therapy. A rigorous adjustment for risk factors is likely to eliminate the paradoxical finding of more frequent favorable outcome in smokers who have not received tPA or ET.

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