Abstract WP122: Refusal of Intravenous Thrombolysis for Acute Ischemic Stroke in San Diego

Purpose: To assess the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients who refuse intravenous thrombolysis (IV tPA) for acute ischemic stroke from the Stroke Registry population collected by the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Stroke Team and to compare outcomes between those who were treated with IV tPA and those who refused. Methods: We evaluated patients between July 2004 and July 2019 from the prospective Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved Stroke Registry project. Patients who either received IV tPA or refused IV tPA were included. Baseline demographics, NIHSS, treatment times and 90 day mRS were collected. Results: A total of 1056 patients were included in the analysis. Forty-seven patients (4.5%) refused IV tPA. There were no differences in demographics between patients who were treated with IV tPA and those who refused. Patients who refused IV tPA had a significantly lower baseline NIHSS (4 vs 9, p=<0.0001) and higher baseline mRS (1.3 vs 0.6, p=0.00043) compared to patients who received IV tPA. The time from arrival to treatment decision was significantly longer in patients who refused IV tPA (group mean 57.9 min vs 48.8 min, p=0.03). There was no difference in 90 day mRS between groups. Conclusions: There is a low rate of IV tPA refusal in our registry population which is similar to what previous studies have shown 1,2 . We found that patients who refuse IV tPA have milder deficits and worse pre-morbid disability. We suspect that the longer “arrival to treatment decision” time in the refuse IV tPA group is due to longer informed consent discussions. This study demonstrates the utility of informed consent in clinical practice and highlights the importance of respecting patient autonomy.

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Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients who Refuse Intravenous Thrombolysis for Acute Ischemic Stroke - The San Diego Experience

Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases ◽

10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2020.105137 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (11) ◽

pp. 105137

Author(s):

Tara von Kleist ◽

Dawn Meyer ◽

Karen Rapp ◽

Brett Cowan Meyer ◽

Royya Modir

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽

San Diego ◽

Intravenous Thrombolysis

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Abstract T P267: Development of an EMS Interfacility Ground Transport Protocol for Patients During/After IV tPA Administration for Acute Ischemic Stroke

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.45.suppl_1.tp267 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 45 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Kerrin Connelly ◽

Rishi Gupta ◽

Raul Nogueira ◽

Arthur Yancey ◽

Alexander Isakov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Acute Stroke ◽

Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽

Transport Protocol ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Stroke Registry ◽

The Public ◽

State Office ◽

Stroke Center ◽

Iv Tpa

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.

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Abstract 2779: The Safety of Intravenous Thrombolysis for Ischemic Stroke in Patients With Pre-Existing Cerebral Aneurysms: A Retrospective, Hospital-Based Study

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.43.suppl_1.a2779 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 43 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Nancy Edwards ◽

Hooman Kamel ◽

S. Andrew Josephson

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽

Cerebral Aneurysms ◽

Intravenous Thrombolysis ◽

Aneurysm Rupture ◽

Exact Test ◽

Intravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator ◽

Unruptured Cerebral Aneurysms ◽

Risk Of Hemorrhage ◽

Iv Tpa

Background and Purpose: Unruptured cerebral aneurysms are currently considered a contraindication to intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA) for acute ischemic stroke. This is due to a theoretical increase in the risk of hemorrhage from aneurysm rupture, although it is unknown whether this risk is significant. We sought to determine the safety of IV tPA administration in a cohort of patients with pre-existing aneurysms. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of patients treated for acute ischemic stroke with IV tPA during an 11-year period at two academic medical centers. We identified a subset of patients with unruptured cerebral aneurysms present on pre-thrombolysis vascular imaging. Our outcomes of interest were any intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), symptomatic ICH, and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Fisher’s exact test was used to compare the rates of hemorrhage among patients with and without aneurysms. Results: We identified 236 eligible patients, of whom 22 had unruptured cerebral aneurysms. The rate of ICH among patients with aneurysms (14%, 95% CI 3-35%) did not significantly differ from the rate among patients without aneurysms (19%, 95% CI 14-25%). None of the patients with aneurysms developed symptomatic ICH (0%, 95% CI 0-15%), compared with 10 of 214 patients without aneurysms (5%, 95% CI 2-8%). Similar proportions of patients developed SAH (5%, 95% CI 0-23% versus 6%, 95% CI 3-10%). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that IV tPA for acute ischemic stroke is safe to administer in patients with pre-existing cerebral aneurysms as the risk of aneurysm rupture and symptomatic ICH is low.

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Abstract 122: Quality of Care for Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke as a Function of Hospital Intravenous Thrombolysis With Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator Capability: Insights From China National Stroke Registry II

Circulation Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes ◽

10.1161/circoutcomes.10.suppl_3.122 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (suppl_3) ◽

Author(s):

Zhenzhen Rao ◽

Zixiao Li ◽

Hongqiu Gu ◽

Yilong Wang ◽

Yongjun Wang

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽

Intravenous Thrombolysis ◽

Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator ◽

Stroke Care ◽

Care Quality ◽

Composite Score ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Stroke Registry

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.

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Abstract W P43: Clot Characteristics on Ct-angiography Predict Early Recanalization With Intravenous Tpa in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.45.suppl_1.wp43 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 45 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Sachin Mishra ◽

Jonathan Dykeman ◽

Mohammed Almekhlafi ◽

Muneer Eesa ◽

Sung Il Sohn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽

Regression Tree ◽

Classification And Regression Tree ◽

Residual Flow ◽

Anterior Circulation ◽

Stroke Registry ◽

Regression Tree Analysis ◽

Flow Through ◽

Iv Tpa

Objective: We explore relationships amongst known and novel clot characteristics identified on CTA and early recanalization with IV tPA using classification and regression tree analysis (CART). Methods: Data is from patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke and proximal anterior circulation occlusions from the Calgary CTA database (2003-2012) and the Keimyung Stroke Registry (2005-2009). Patients who received IV t-PA followed by endovascular therapy were included. Clot location, clot length, residual flow through clot, ratio of contrast HU pre/post clot (cirHU) and distance of clot from M1 origin (for M1 MCA occlusions), were assessed on baseline CT-angio using OsiriX (Fig 1). Early recanalization (TICI 2a, 2b & 3) with IV t-PA was assessed on DSA first run. Results: We identified 228 patients (50.4% male, median age 69 yrs, median baseline NIHSS 17) who fulfilled inclusion criteria. Median symptom onset to IV t-PA time was 120 mins (IQR=70 mins) and median IV t-PA bolus to first angio run time was 70.5 mins (IQR=62 mins). Patients with residual flow within clot are five times more likely to recanalize than those without. Patients with residual flow within clot and a shorter clot length (≤15mm) were the most likely to recanalize(70.6%). Patients without residual flow with a carotid T/L occlusion rarely recanalized (1.7%). Patients without residual flow in M1 clots recanalized more if they were distal and had a cirHU < 2 (36.8%). (Fig 2). Inter-rater reliability for these clot characteristics was good to excellent. Conclusion: Clot characteristics on CTA could help physicians estimate early recanalization rates with IV tPA for proximal clots ranging from 0% to more than 80%.

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Systematic evaluation of stroke thrombectomy in clinical practice: The German Stroke Registry Endovascular Treatment

International Journal of Stroke ◽

10.1177/1747493018806199 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 372-380 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Anna C Alegiani ◽

Franziska Dorn ◽

Moriz Herzberg ◽

Frank A Wollenweber ◽

Lars Kellert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Clinical Practice ◽

Endovascular Treatment ◽

Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽

Active Sites ◽

Intravenous Thrombolysis ◽

Standard Of Care ◽

Systematic Evaluation ◽

Stroke Treatment ◽

Stroke Registry

Background Endovascular treatment has become standard of care for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusion. However, patients treated in clinical practice differ from the selected populations randomized in clinical trials. Aims The German Stroke Registry Endovascular Treatment (GSR-ET) aims at a systematic evaluation of outcome, safety, and process parameters of endovascular stroke treatment in standard of care in Germany. Methods The GSR-ET is an academic, independent, prospective, multicenter, observational registry study. Participating stroke centers from all over of Germany consecutively enroll patients transferred to the angiography suite with an intention to be treated with endovascular stroke treatment. Patients receive regular care. Data are collected as part of clinical routine. Baseline clinical and procedural information and clinical follow-up information after 90 days are recorded. Here, we present an analysis of baseline data of the first 1662 patients included in the GSR-ET. Results The registry was established in June 2015. By 31 December 2017, 1662 patients were enrolled in 23 active sites. Mean age was 72 ± 13 years, 50% were female, and median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale on admission was 15 (IQR 10–19), 88% had anterior circulation occlusion. Median ASPECT score was 8 (IQR 7–10) prior to intervention. Fifty-nine percent of patients received intravenous thrombolysis prior to thrombectomy. Mean “onset-to-groin” time was 224 ± 176 min. Conclusions Baseline characteristics of stroke patients undergoing thrombectomy in clinical practice differ from those in the randomized trials. The GSR-ET will provide valuable insights into practices of endovascular treatment in routine care of acute ischemic stroke. (GSR-ET ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03356392.)

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Abstract TP301: Outlier Analysis of NIHSS Change in a Regional Database of Acute Ischemic Stroke

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.48.suppl_1.tp301 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Danny R Rose ◽

Stephen L Grupke ◽

Justin F Fraser ◽

Patrick H Kitzman ◽

Kelley L Elkins ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽

Intravenous Thrombolysis ◽

Patient Characteristics ◽

Inpatient Setting ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Inpatient Hospitalization ◽

Statistical Process ◽

Stroke Registry ◽

Recovery Potential

Introduction: Change in NIH Stroke Scale from admission to discharge has been proposed as an outcome-based method of assessing quality of care in the inpatient setting. Using the Kentucky Appalachian Stroke Registry database, statistical outliers were identified as potential targets for investigation. We aimed to use the analysis of this subset of patients to identify characteristics favoring exceptionally good or poor outcome. Methods: De-identified patient data was obtained from the Kentucky Appalachian Stroke Registry for all acute ischemic stroke patients from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014 using discharge diagnoses. Statistical process control methodology was used to identify hospitalizations with positive or negative NIHSS change more than three standard deviations from the mean. The statistical outliers underwent manual chart review to validate the data obtained from the registry and supplement it qualitatively to identify common characteristics. Chi-square tests were conducted to assess the association between patient characteristics and being a positive or negative outlier. Results: Positive outliers were less likely to have hypertension and more likely to have received intravenous thrombolysis. Negative outliers were more likely to have carotid stenosis. Both groups were more likely to have a diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmia and to have received mechanical thrombectomy. Conclusions: Gathering registry data regarding NIHSS outliers is a feasible and potentially useful tool in understanding and improving care. The absence of hypertension may represent positive predictive recovery potential in severe stroke. Patients with significant carotid disease on presentation may be at risk of neurological decline. Furthermore, patients with large vessel occlusions undergoing thrombectomy represent a high-variance population with the greatest improvements and greatest deteriorations during inpatient hospitalization.

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Abstract 2545: Does Participation in a Stroke Registry Improve tPA Administration Rates?

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.43.suppl_1.a2545 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 43 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Moges Ido ◽

Lydia Clarkson ◽

Deborah Camp ◽

Kerrie Krompf ◽

Michael Frankel

Keyword(s):

Quality Improvement ◽

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Length Of Stay ◽

Patient Care ◽

Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Hospital Size ◽

Stroke Registry ◽

Over Time ◽

Iv Tpa

Background: The purpose of the Georgia Coverdell Acute Stroke Registry (GCASR) is to improve the quality of patient care. GCASR conducts regular quality improvement activities to educate hospital staff and improve systems and processes. Administration of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA) is standard treatment for eligible acute ischemic stroke patients and can dramatically improve outcomes. Purpose: To determine whether GCASR hospitals were more likely to administer tPA to acute ischemic stroke patients than non-GCASR hospitals. Methods: Hospitalization data from acute care hospitals in Georgia was provided by the Georgia Hospital Association for November 2005 through December 2009. Acute ischemic stroke patients receiving tPA were identified using ICD-9 codes (433 and 434), procedure codes (9910), and healthcare common procedure system codes (J2997). A hospital was defined as a GCASR facility if it was actively participating in the registry at the time of patient hospitalization. A generalized estimating equation with robust variance estimation was applied using the SAS GLIMMIX procedure. “Hospital” was treated as a random variable. Relative risks for receiving tPA were estimated and adjusted for demographics, co-morbidities, hospital size, urbanicity, and length of stay. Results: A total of 55,403 patients were admitted with a principal diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke during the study period, and two percent (1,231) received tPA. Three percent of patients (871) seen at registry facilities received tPA, compared to 1.4% (360) of those seen at non-GCASR facilities. Age, gender, race, length of stay, hospital size, and participation in the registry all predicted tPA administration, either at or near significant levels (p-values from <0.0001 to 0.0646). Although IV tPA administration has increased over time in both hospital groups, patients treated at GCASR facilities were more likely to receive tPA after controlling for confounders (OR=1.64; 95% CI: 0.97-2.78), which approached significance (p=0.0646). Approximately 340 fewer people would have received tPA had all study patients been treated at non-GCASR facilities. Conclusions: Although all Georgia hospitals have improved their rate of tPA administration over time, GCASR hospitals maintained a higher rate than non-GCASR hospitals. This may be due in part to the quality improvement activities that registry facilities participate in and the assistance they receive. These results support the stroke registry model as a method of improving stroke patient care and outcomes.

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Preceding Intravenous Thrombolysis in Patients Receiving Endovascular Therapy

Cerebrovascular Diseases ◽

10.1159/000471492 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 44 (1-2) ◽

pp. 51-58 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Hong-Kyun Park ◽

Jong-Won Chung ◽

Jeong-Ho Hong ◽

Min Uk Jang ◽

Hyun-Du Noh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽

Endovascular Therapy ◽

Intravenous Thrombolysis ◽

Functional Independence ◽

Hemorrhagic Transformation ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Stroke Registry ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

New Generation

Background: The beneficial effects of endovascular therapy (EVT) in acute ischemic stroke have been demonstrated in recent clinical trials using new-generation thrombectomy devices. However, the comparative effectiveness and safety of preceding intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) in this population has rarely been evaluated. Methods: From a prospective multicenter stroke registry database in Korea, we identified patients with acute ischemic stroke who were treated with EVT within 8 h of onset and admitted to 14 participating centers during 2008-2013. The primary outcome was a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 3 months. Major secondary outcomes were successful recanalization defined as a modified Treatment in Cerebral Ischemia score of 2b-3, functional independence (mRS score 0-2), mortality at 3 months, and symptomatic hemorrhagic transformation (SHT) during hospitalization. Multivariable logistic regression analyses using generalized linear mixed models were performed to estimate the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of preceding IVT. Results: Of the 639 patients (male, 61%; age 69 ± 12; National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of 15 [11-19]) who met the eligibility criteria, 458 received preceding IVT. These patients showed lower mRS scores (adjusted common OR, 1.38 [95% CI 0.98-1.96]). Preceding IVT was associated with successful recanalization (1.96 [1.23-3.11]) and reduced 3-month mortality (0.58 [0.35-0.97]) but not with SHT (0.96 [0.48-1.93]). Conclusion: In patients treated with EVT within 8 of acute ischemic stroke onset, preceding IVT may enhance survival and successful recanalization without additional risk of SHT, and mitigate disability at 3 months.

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