Safety and predictors of stroke mimics in The Norwegian Tenecteplase Stroke Trial (NOR-TEST)

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 508-516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Elnan Kvistad ◽  
Vojtech Novotny ◽  
Halvor Næss ◽  
Guri Hagberg ◽  
Hege Ihle-Hansen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Cerebral Ischemia ◽  
Transient Ischemic Attack ◽  
Sensory Loss ◽  
Stroke Mimics ◽  
Symptomatic Intracerebral Hemorrhage ◽  
Acute Cerebral Ischemia ◽  
Stroke Mimic ◽  
Ischemic Attack ◽  
Stroke Trial

Background Stroke mimics are frequently treated with thrombolysis in clinical practice and thrombolytic trials. Although alteplase in stroke mimics has proven to be safe, safety of tenecteplase in stroke mimics has not been assessed in an ischemic stroke study setting. We aimed to assess clinical characteristics and safety of stroke mimics treated with thrombolysis in the Norwegian Tenecteplase Stroke Trial. We also aimed to identify possible predictors of stroke mimics as compared to patients with acute cerebral ischemia. Methods Norwegian Tenecteplase Stroke Trial was a phase-3 trial investigating safety and efficacy of tenecteplase vs. alteplase in patients with suspected acute cerebral ischemia. Two groups were defined based on diagnose at discharge: patients with a different diagnose than ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (stroke mimics group) and patients diagnosed with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (acute cerebral ischemia group). Logistic regression analyses were performed with stroke mimics vs. acute cerebral ischemia as dependent variable to identify predictors of stroke mimics. Results Of 1091 randomized patients, 181 (16.6%) were stroke mimics. Migraine (22.2%) and peripheral vertigo (11.4%) were the two most frequent stroke mimic-diagnoses. There was no symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage in the stroke mimics group. Stroke mimics were independently associated with age ≤60 years (OR 2.75, p < 0.001), female sex (OR 1.48, p = 0.026), no history of myocardial infarction (OR 2.03, p = 0.045), systolic BP ≤ 150 mmHg (OR 2.33, p < 0.001), NIHSS ≤ 6 points (OR 1.83, p = 0.011), sensory loss (OR 1.55, p = 0.015), and no facial paresis (OR 2.41, p < 0.001) on admission. Conclusion Thrombolysis with tenecteplase seems to be as safe as with alteplase in stroke mimics. Predictors were identified for stroke mimics which may contribute to differentiate stroke mimics from acute cerebral ischemia in future stroke trials.

scholarly journals Systolic blood pressure as a predictor of transient ischemic attack/minor stroke in emergency department patients under age 80: a prospective cohort study

BMC Neurology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Penn ◽  
Nicole S. Croteau ◽  
Kristine Votova ◽  
Colin Sedgwick ◽  
Robert F. Balshaw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Transient Ischemic Attack ◽  
Final Diagnosis ◽  
Conditional Inference ◽  
Minor Stroke ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Stroke Mimics ◽  
Stroke Mimic ◽  
Ischemic Attack

Abstract Background Elevated blood pressure (BP) at emergency department (ED) presentation and advancing age have been associated with risk of ischemic stroke; however, the relationship between BP, age, and transient ischemic attack/minor stroke (TIA/MS) is not clear. Methods A multi-site, prospective, observational study of 1084 ED patients screened for suspected TIA/MS (symptom onset < 24 h, NIHSS< 4) between December 2013 and April 2016. Systolic and diastolic BP measurements (SBP, DBP) were taken at ED presentation. Final diagnosis was consensus adjudication by stroke neurologists; patients were diagnosed as either TIA/MS or stroke-mimic (non-cerebrovascular conditions). Conditional inference trees were used to define age cut-points for predicting binary diagnosis (TIA/MS or stroke-mimic). Logistic regression models were used to estimate the effect of BP, age, sex, and the age-BP interaction on predicting TIA/MS diagnosis. Results Over a 28-month period, 768 (71%) patients were diagnosed with TIA/MS: these patients were older (mean 71.6 years) and more likely to be male (58%) than stroke-mimics (61.4 years, 41%; each p < 0.001). TIA/MS patients had higher SBP than stroke-mimics (p < 0.001). DBP did not differ between the two groups (p = 0.191). SBP was predictive of TIA/MS diagnosis in younger patients, after accounting for age and sex; an increase of 10 mmHg systolic increased the odds of TIA/MS 18% (odds ratio [OR] 1.18, 95% CI 1.00–1.39) in patients < 60 years, and 23% (OR 1.23, 95% CI 11.12–1.35) in those 60–79 years, while not affecting the odds of TIA/MS in patients ≥80 years (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.89–1.07). Conclusions Raised SBP in patients younger than 80 with suspected TIA/MS may be a useful clinical indicator upon initial presentation to help increase clinicians’ suspicion of TIA/MS. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03050099 (10-Feb-2017) and NCT03070067 (3-Mar-2017). Retrospectively registered.

scholarly journals The Acute Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack Treated with Ticagrelor and Aspirin for Prevention of Stroke and Death (THALES) trial: Rationale and design

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 745-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Claiborne Johnston ◽  
Pierre Amarenco ◽  
Hans Denison ◽  
Scott R Evans ◽  
Anders Himmelmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Ischemia ◽  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Antiplatelet Therapy ◽  
Transient Ischemic Attack ◽  
Dual Antiplatelet Therapy ◽  
Bleeding Event ◽  
Severe Bleeding ◽  
Major Hemorrhage ◽  
Acute Cerebral Ischemia ◽  
Ischemic Attack

Rationale In patients with acute cerebral ischemia, the rate of stroke, myocardial infarction, or death during 90 days was reported to be non-significantly lower with ticagrelor compared with aspirin, with no increase in major hemorrhage. Dual antiplatelet therapy may be more effective in this setting. Aim To investigate whether ticagrelor combined with aspirin are superior to aspirin alone in preventing stroke or death in patients with non-severe, non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke or high-risk transient ischemic attack. Design The Acute Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack Treated with Ticagrelor and Aspirin for Prevention of Stroke and Death (THALES) trial is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, event-driven study. Patients will be randomized within 24 h of onset of acute ischemic symptoms. THALES is expected to randomize 13,000 at ∼450 sites worldwide, to collect 764 primary outcome events. Study treatments are ticagrelor 180 mg loading dose on day 1, then 90 mg twice daily on days 2–30, or matching placebo. All patients will also receive open-label aspirin 300–325 mg on day 1, then 75–100 mg once daily on days 2–30. Study outcomes The primary efficacy outcome is time to the composite endpoint of stroke or death through 30-day follow-up. The primary safety outcome is time to first severe bleeding event. Discussion The THALES trial will provide important information about the benefits and risks of dual antiplatelet therapy with ticagrelor and aspirin in patients with acute cerebral ischemia in a global setting (funding: AstraZeneca). Clinical Trial Registration URL http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT03354429.

scholarly journals Pioglitazone for secondary prevention after ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack: Rationale and design of the Insulin Resistance Intervention after Stroke Trial

2014 ◽  
Vol 168 (6) ◽  
pp. 823-829.e6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine M. Viscoli ◽  
Lawrence M. Brass ◽  
Antonio Carolei ◽  
Robin Conwit ◽  
Gary A. Ford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Insulin Resistance ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Secondary Prevention ◽  
Transient Ischemic Attack ◽  
Ischemic Attack ◽  
Stroke Trial

Telestroke consultation can accurately diagnose ischemic stroke mimics

2021 ◽  
pp. 1357633X2198955
Author(s):  
Jason T Poon ◽  
Aleksander Tkach ◽  
Adam H de Havenon ◽  
Knut Hoversten ◽  
Jaleen Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Clinical Information ◽  
Excellent Correlation ◽  
Stroke Mimics ◽  
Intravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator ◽  
The Us ◽  
Tissue Plasminogen ◽  
Stroke Mimic ◽  
Ischemic Attack

Introduction Telestroke (TS) networks are standard in many areas of the US. Despite TS systems having approximately 33% mimic rates, it is unknown if TS can accurately diagnose patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) versus stroke mimics. Methods We performed a retrospective review of consecutive TS consults to 27 TS sites in six states during 2018. Clinical information and diagnosis were extracted from discharge records and compared to those from the TS consult. Discharge diagnoses were verified and coded into 12 categories. Cases without a clear discharge diagnosis and intracerebral haemorrhage were excluded. We report agreement and a Cohen’s kappa between TS and discharge diagnoses for the category of AIS/transient ischemic attack (TIA) versus stroke mimic. Results We included 404 cases in the analysis (mean age 66 years; 54% women). Of these, 225 had a TS diagnosis of AIS/TIA; 102 (45%) received intravenous tissue plasminogen activator. Our study demonstrated a high diagnostic agreement for AIS/TIA (88%) with a kappa of 0.75 for stroke and mimics. Of the 179 patients diagnosed with a stroke mimic on TS, 27 (15%) were diagnosed with AIS/TA by discharge. TS mimic diagnosis had a positive predictive value (PPV) of 85% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 90%; TS diagnosis of stroke/TIA had PPV 90%, NPV 85%. Discussion We found excellent correlation between TS and discharge diagnoses for patients with both stroke and stroke mimics. This suggests that TS systems can accurately assess a wider variety of patients with acute neurologic syndromes other than AIS.

scholarly journals Baseline characteristics of the 3096 patients recruited into the ‘Triple Antiplatelets for Reducing Dependency after Ischemic Stroke’ trial

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 524-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip MW Bath ◽  
Jason P Appleton ◽  
Maia Beridze ◽  
Hanne Christensen ◽  
Robert A Dineen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Antiplatelet Therapy ◽  
Transient Ischemic Attack ◽  
Stroke Severity ◽  
Vascular Events ◽  
Risk Of Recurrence ◽  
Triple Antiplatelet Therapy ◽  
Ischemic Attack ◽  
Stroke Trial

Background The risk of recurrence following ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack is highest immediately after the event. Antiplatelet agents are effective in reducing the risk of recurrence and two agents are superior to one in the early phase after ictus. Design The triple antiplatelets for reducing dependency after ischemic stroke trial was an international multicenter prospective randomized open-label blinded-endpoint trial that assessed the safety and efficacy of short-term intensive antiplatelet therapy with three agents (combined aspirin, clopidogrel and dipyridamole) as compared with guideline treatment in acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. The primary outcome was stroke recurrence and its severity, measured using the modified Rankin Scale at 90 days. Secondary outcomes included recurrent vascular events, functional measures (cognition, disability, mood, quality of life), and safety (bleeding, death, serious adverse events). Data are number (%) or mean (standard deviation, SD). Results Recruitment ran from April 2009 to March 2016; 3096 patients were recruited from 106 sites in four countries (Denmark 1.6%, Georgia 2.7%, New Zealand 0.2%, UK 95.4%). Randomization characteristics included: age 69.0 (10.1) years; male 1945 (62.8%); time onset to randomization 29.4 (11.9) h; stroke severity (National Institutes for Health Stroke Scale) 2.8 (3.6); blood pressure 143.5 (18.2)/79.5 (11.4) mmHg; IS 2143 (69.2%), transient ischemic attack 953 (30.8%). Conclusion Triple antiplatelets for reducing dependency after ischemic stroke was a large trial of intensive/triple antiplatelet therapy in acute ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack, and included participants from four predominantly Caucasian countries who were representative of patients in many western stroke services.

scholarly journals Endocannabinoid response in acute ischemic stroke: elevated 2-arachidonoylglycerol

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Buciuc ◽  
Gian Marco Conte ◽  
Eugene L. Scharf
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Cerebral Ischemia ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Symptom Onset ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Infarct Volume ◽  
Closed Head Injury ◽  
Acute Cerebral Ischemia ◽  
Ischemic Attack

ABSTRACTBackground and purposeEndocannabinoids are hypothesized to have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties and hold therapeutic potential in the acute phase response mechanisms during acute cerebral ischemia and closed head injury. We set to describe the plasma levels of endocannabinoids and related ethanolamides during acute and subacute phases of cerebral ischemia.MethodsWe conducted a prospective observational study of plasma endocannabinoid levels in patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. Two blood samples were collected: T1 (<12 hours from symptom onset) and T2 (>24 hours from symptom onset). N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA), 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and oleoylethanolamide (OEA) were quantified by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry.ResultsTwenty-three patients met inclusion criteria. Median (interquartile range): Age – 76 years (60-81); body mass index - 25.6 (23.6-30.4); National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score-5(3-13); infarct volume - 1.4 cm3 (0.5-8.6). Higher 2-AG levels at T1 were correlated with smaller infarct volumes (Spearman ƿ=-0.48, p=0.0206). Levels of 2-AG were elevated at T2 compared to T1 in 48% of patients (median difference - 310.3nM, 95% CI 194.1-497.3; p=0.001); AEA, PEA and OEA did not differ between T1 and T2, p>0.05. Patients with elevated 2-AG at T2 had larger infarct volumes, p=0.0178, lower frequency of embolectomy performed, p=0.0373, but no difference in neurological disability 90 days after the ischemic event compared to patients without 2-AG elevation.Conclusion2-AG increases significantly in early phases of ischemic stroke. The final mechanistic role of 2-AG in acute ischemic stroke is to be determined in further studies.

Ischemic Stroke: Common Causes and Diagnosis

2021 ◽  
pp. 383-398
Author(s):  
Kelly D. Flemming
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Cerebral Ischemia ◽  
Cause Of Death ◽  
Transient Ischemic Attack ◽  
Neurologic Deficit ◽  
Preventive Strategies ◽  
Common Causes ◽  
Ischemic Attack ◽  
Focal Neurologic Deficit

Ischemic stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a major condition feared by older adults. Clinical identification of patients with cerebral ischemia is important to provide appropriate, immediate treatment and initiate stroke preventive strategies. This chapter presents an overview of the more common causes and mechanisms of stroke. Ischemic stroke has been classically defined as a fixed focal neurologic deficit attributable to an arterial or venous territory and lasting longer than 24 hours. Transient ischemic attack has been classically defined as a transient focal neurologic deficit attributable to an arterial territory lasting less than 24 hours.

scholarly journals Hyperintense Acute Reperfusion Marker on FLAIR in a Patient with Transient Ischemic Attack

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Förster ◽  
Holger Wenz ◽  
Christoph Groden
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Blood Brain Barrier ◽  
Transient Ischemic Attack ◽  
Brain Barrier ◽  
Sensory Loss ◽  
Gadolinium Enhancement ◽  
Blood Brain ◽  
Ischemic Attack

The hyperintense acute reperfusion marker (HARM) has initially been described in acute ischemic stroke. The phenomenon is caused by blood-brain barrier disruption following acute reperfusion and consecutive delayed gadolinium enhancement in the subarachnoid space on fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images. Here we report the case of an 80-year-old man who presented with transient paresis and sensory loss in the right arm. Initial routine stroke MRI including diffusion- and perfusion-weighted imaging demonstrated no acute pathology. Follow-up MRI after three hours demonstrated subarachnoid gadolinium enhancement in the left middle cerebral artery territory consistent with HARM that completely resolved on follow-up MRI three days later. This case illustrates that even in transient ischemic attack patients disturbances of the blood-brain barrier may be present which significantly exceed the extent of acute ischemic lesions on diffusion-weighted imaging. Inclusion of FLAIR images with delayed acquisition after intravenous contrast agent application in MRI stroke protocols might facilitate the diagnosis of a recent acute ischemic stroke.

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