scholarly journals Effect of Alteplase Administration on International Normalized Ratio in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 176-180
Author(s):  
Michael J. Erdman ◽  
K. Erin Davidson ◽  
J. Tyler Haller ◽  
Samarth Shah ◽  
Whitney Gross ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Bleeding Risk ◽  
International Normalized Ratio ◽  
Occurrence Rate ◽  
Bleeding Events ◽  
Point Increase ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
African American Race

Background/Objective: Alteplase may elevate international normalized ratio (INR) results, although the exact rate of elevation occurrence is not firmly established in the literature. The purpose of this study is to determine the occurrence rate of INR elevation following alteplase administration. We also aimed to determine what factors are independently associated with the development of elevated INR following alteplase administration for ischemic stroke. Methods: We conducted a multicenter, retrospective, cohort study of patients who received alteplase for acute ischemic stroke. Patients were screened for baseline INR measurement and a repeat value within 24 hours of alteplase administration. The primary outcome was the percent of patients who experienced ≥0.4-point increase in INR. Secondary outcomes included the rate of adverse bleeding events and identification of factors independently associated with elevated INR following alteplase administration. Results and Conclusions: Two hundred and sixty-one patients were included, with 44 (16.9%) patients having an INR increase of 0.4 or more. Patients with an INR increase ≥0.4 experienced a nonstatistically significant increase in bleeding episodes (8.8% vs 18.2%; P = .10). We identified African American race (odds ratio, 3.48, 95% confidence interval, 1.5-7.6; P = .002) as an independent predictor of INR increase ≥0.04. An INR elevation is common following receipt of alteplase for ischemic stroke. Those of African American race were at increased risk of INR elevation; however, more studies are needed to determine whether these patients are at a higher bleeding risk as a result of INR elevation.

scholarly journals Abstract MP4: Ticagrelor Plus Aspirin Versus Aspirin Alone in Acute Ischemic Stroke or TIA - Analysis of Bleeding Events in the THALES Trial

Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Molina ◽  
Pierre Amarenco ◽  
Per Ladenvall ◽  
Maria Aunes ◽  
Hans Denison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Bleeding Event ◽  
Bleeding Risk ◽  
Severe Bleeding ◽  
Bleeding Events ◽  
Risk Of Bleeding ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Aspirin Group

Introduction: In the THALES trial, ticagrelor and aspirin was superior to aspirin alone in reducing the primary endpoint of stroke or death, and subsequent disabling strokes, but increased risk of bleeding, as expected for dual antiplatelet therapy. Aim: Present the bleeding profile of ticagrelor in combination with aspirin in patients with acute cerebrovascular events. Methods: The THALES trial randomized patients with non-cardioembolic, non-severe ischemic stroke (NIHSS≤5) or high-risk TIA to ticagrelor (180mg loading dose on day 1 followed by 90mg twice daily until day 30) or placebo within 24h of symptom onset in 28 countries. All patients received aspirin 300-325mg on day 1 followed by 75-100mg daily until day 30. Primary safety endpoint was time to severe bleeding, defined by GUSTO criteria, within 30 days. Analyses were by intention to treat. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03354429). Results: Among 11016 patients randomized, 28 (0.5%) in the ticagrelor+aspirin group (T+A) and 7 (0.1%) in the aspirin group (A) had a severe bleeding event; HR 3.99 (1.74-9.14); p=0.001. Among these, 22 (0.4%) (T+A) vs 6 (0.1%) (A) were fatal or intracranial hemorrhages (ICHs) and 6 (0.1%) (T+A) vs 1 (<0.1%) (A) non-fatal events with hemodynamic compromise. ICHs included 10 (0.2%) (T+A) vs 2 (<0.1%) (A) hemorrhagic strokes and 4 (0.1%) (T+A) vs 2 (<0.1%) (A) symptomatic haemorrhagic transformations of ischemic stroke and other ICHs. Most severe bleeding events were spontaneous; 1 (T+A) and 2 (A) were traumatic and 1 in each treatment group were procedural. No predefined subgroup was associated with severe bleeding risk though analyses were limited by a small number of events. Moderate/severe bleeding events occurred in 36 (0.7%) (T+A) vs 11 (0.2%) (A) patients. Bleeding leading to discontinuation occurred in 152 (2.8%) (T+A) vs 32 (0.6%) (A) patients. Conclusion: While the rate of severe bleeding in the patients with acute ischemic stroke or TIA was low, patients randomized to receive ticagrelor more often experienced severe bleeding events. No subgroup with different bleeding risk could be identified. Given the high risk of disability following a subsequent stroke, the benefit of adding ticagrelor to aspirin in reducing subsequent stroke appears to outweigh the risk of bleeding.

Endovascular stroke therapy may be safe in patients with elevated international normalized ratio

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1187-1190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sibu Mundiyanapurath ◽  
Anne Tillmann ◽  
Markus Alfred Möhlenbruch ◽  
Martin Bendszus ◽  
Peter Arthur Ringleb
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Endovascular Therapy ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
International Normalized Ratio ◽  
Unfavorable Outcome ◽  
Favorable Outcome ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Increased Risk

IntroductionEndovascular therapy in acute ischemic stroke is safe and efficient. However, patients receiving oral anticoagulation were excluded in the larger trials.ObjectiveTo analyze the safety of endovascular therapy in patients with acute ischemic stroke and elevated international normalized ratio (INR) values.MethodsRetrospective database review of a tertiary care university hospital for patients with anterior circulation stroke treated with endovascular therapy. Patients with anticoagulation other than vitamin K antagonists were excluded. The primary safety endpoint was defined as symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH; ECASS II definition). The efficacy endpoint was the modified Rankin scale (mRS) score after 3 months, dichotomized into favorable outcome (mRS 0–2) and unfavorable outcome (mRS 3–6).Results435 patients were included. 90% were treated with stent retriever. 27 (6.2%) patients with an INR of 1.2–1.7 and 21 (4.8%) with an INR >1.7. 33 (7.6%) had sICH and 149 patients (34.3%) had a favorable outcome. Patients with an elevated INR did not have an increased risk for sICH or unfavorable outcome in multivariable analysis. The additional use of IV thrombolysis in patients with an INR of 1.2–1.7 did not increase the risk of sICH or unfavorable outcome. These results were replicated in a sensitivity analysis introducing an error of the INR of ±5%. They were also confirmed using other sICH definitions (Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke (SITS), National Institute of neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Heidelberg bleeding classification).ConclusionsEndovascular therapy in patients with an elevated INR is safe and efficient. Patients with an INR of 1.2–1.7 may be treated with combined IV thrombolysis and endovascular therapy.

scholarly journals Dysphagia in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke: Early Dysphagia Screening May Reduce Stroke-Related Pneumonia and Improve Stroke Outcomes

2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 81-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Al-Khaled ◽  
Christine Matthis ◽  
Andreas Binder ◽  
Jonas Mudter ◽  
Joern Schattschneider ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
National Institutes Of Health ◽  
Modified Rankin Scale ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Stroke Outcomes ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Reduced Risk

Background: Dysphagia is associated with poor outcome in stroke patients. Studies investigating the association of dysphagia and early dysphagia screening (EDS) with outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) are rare. The aims of our study are to investigate the association of dysphagia and EDS within 24 h with stroke-related pneumonia and outcomes. Methods: Over a 4.5-year period (starting November 2007), all consecutive AIS patients from 15 hospitals in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, were prospectively evaluated. The primary outcomes were stroke-related pneumonia during hospitalization, mortality, and disability measured on the modified Rankin Scale ≥2-5, in which 2 indicates an independence/slight disability to 5 severe disability. Results: Of 12,276 patients (mean age 73 ± 13; 49% women), 9,164 patients (74%) underwent dysphagia screening; of these patients, 55, 39, 4.7, and 1.5% of patients had been screened for dysphagia within 3, 3 to <24, 24 to ≤72, and >72 h following admission. Patients who underwent dysphagia screening were likely to be older, more affected on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, and to have higher rates of neurological symptoms and risk factors than patients who were not screened. A total of 3,083 patients (25.1%; 95% CI 24.4-25.8) had dysphagia. The frequency of dysphagia was higher in patients who had undergone dysphagia screening than in those who had not (30 vs. 11.1%; p < 0.001). During hospitalization (mean 9 days), 1,271 patients (10.2%; 95% CI 9.7-10.8) suffered from stroke-related pneumonia. Patients with dysphagia had a higher rate of pneumonia than those without dysphagia (29.7 vs. 3.7%; p < 0.001). Logistic regression revealed that dysphagia was associated with increased risk of stroke-related pneumonia (OR 3.4; 95% CI 2.8-4.2; p < 0.001), case fatality during hospitalization (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.1-3.7; p < 0.001) and disability at discharge (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.6-2.3; p < 0.001). EDS within 24 h of admission appeared to be associated with decreased risk of stroke-related pneumonia (OR 0.68; 95% CI 0.52-0.89; p = 0.006) and disability at discharge (OR 0.60; 95% CI 0.46-0.77; p < 0.001). Furthermore, dysphagia was independently correlated with an increase in mortality (OR 3.2; 95% CI 2.4-4.2; p < 0.001) and disability (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.8-3.0; p < 0.001) at 3 months after stroke. The rate of 3-month disability was lower in patients who had received EDS (52 vs. 40.7%; p = 0.003), albeit an association in the logistic regression was not found (OR 0.78; 95% CI 0.51-1.2; p = 0.2). Conclusions: Dysphagia exposes stroke patients to a higher risk of pneumonia, disability, and death, whereas an EDS seems to be associated with reduced risk of stroke-related pneumonia and disability.

scholarly journals Recanalisation theraphy for acute ischemic stroke in cancer patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Merlino ◽  
Carmelo Smeralda ◽  
Gian Luigi Gigli ◽  
Simone Lorenzut ◽  
Sara Pez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Metastatic Cancer ◽  
Intravenous Thrombolysis ◽  
Functional Independence ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Bridging Therapy ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Active Cancer

AbstractTo date, very few studies focused their attention on efficacy and safety of recanalisation therapy in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with cancer, reporting conflicting results. We retrospectively analysed data from our database of consecutive patients admitted to the Udine University Hospital with AIS that were treated with recanalisation therapy, i.e. intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), mechanical thrombectomy (MT), and bridging therapy, from January 2015 to December 2019. We compared 3-month dependency, 3-month mortality, and symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (SICH) occurrence of patients with active cancer (AC) and remote cancer (RC) with that of patients without cancer (WC) undergoing recanalisation therapy for AIS. Patients were followed up for 3 months. Among the 613 AIS patients included in the study, 79 patients (12.9%) had either AC (n = 46; 7.5%) or RC (n = 33; 5.4%). Although AC patients, when treated with IVT, had a significantly increased risk of 3-month mortality [odds ratio (OR) 6.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.42–20.07, p = 0.001] than WC patients, stroke-related deaths did not differ between AC and WC patients (30% vs. 28.8%, p = 0.939). There were no significant differences between AC and WC patients, when treated with MT ± IVT, regarding 3-month dependency, 3-month mortality and SICH. Functional independence, mortality, and SICH were similar between RC and WC patients. In conclusion, recanalisation therapy might be used in AIS patients with nonmetastatic AC and with RC. Further studies are needed to explore the outcome of AIS patients with metastatic cancer undergoing recanalisation therapy.

Abstract TP202: Association of Rs7961894 with Mean Platelet Volume in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

Stroke ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Malgorzata Miller ◽  
Nils Henninger ◽  
Renato Umeton ◽  
Agnieszka Slowik
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Mean Platelet Volume ◽  
Myocardial Infarct ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Platelet Volume ◽  
Laboratory Findings ◽  
Stroke Subtypes ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
One Year

Introduction: Mean platelet volume (MPV) is a marker of platelet function and elevated MPV was found to be an independent risk factor for death after myocardial infarct in patients with coronary artery disease. Higher MPV was associated with increased risk of ischemic stroke, yet there is insufficient data regarding the role of MPV as a marker of outcome in patients with ischemic stroke. The variability of platelet indices in humans is largely determined by genetic factors and rs7961894 located within intron 3 of WDR66 gene showed the strongest association with MPV in all genome wide association (GWA) studies in the European population. Aim: To determine the association of rs7961894 with MPV in patients with acute ischemic stroke and to assess whether rs7961894 and MPV could be markers of one year mortality in different stroke subtypes. Material and methods: For 426 adults with first-ever ischemic stroke MPV was measured within 72h of stroke onset and single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping of rs7961894 was performed accordingly (RT-PCR, Applied Biosystems). Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics (including TOAST classification), laboratory findings as well as one year mortality data were collected for each participant. Results: Allele T and genotypes CT and TT of the rs7961894 polymorphism were associated with the highest (>11.5fL) MPV quartile (Chi 2 test, p<0.01). MPV was significantly higher in patients with genotype TT as compared to CT and CC genotype (12.0±0.24fL vs. 11.10±0.15fL and 10.77±0.05fL, respectively, ANOVA, p <0.005 with Tukey HSD post-hoc test, Figure 1). Conclusions: Allele T of rs7961894 polymorphism is associated with increased MPV in the recessive and dominant model and patients with genotype TT have significantly higher MPV as compared to the rest of the population study. Further analysis is currently being conducted to determine the association of MPV and rs7961894 polymorphism with one year mortality and stroke subtypes.

Abstract P25: Safety of Ticagrelor in Moderate to Severe Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Single-Center Retrospective Review

Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen W English ◽  
David Landzberg ◽  
Nirav Bhatt ◽  
Michael Frankel ◽  
Digvijaya Navalkele
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Major Bleeding ◽  
Mechanical Thrombectomy ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Severe Bleeding ◽  
Large Artery ◽  
Inpatient Stay ◽  
Increased Risk

Introduction: Ticagrelor with aspirin has been recently shown to reduce the risk of stroke or death compared to aspirin alone in patients with high risk TIAs and mild strokes. However, this benefit is offset by increased risk of severe bleeding. We sought to evaluate the safety of ticagrelor in patients with moderate to severe ischemic stroke. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of adults discharged on ticagrelor after presenting with acute ischemic stroke and NIHSS > 5 from January 2016 to December 2019 at a large, urban, academic comprehensive stroke center. Patients were excluded if they underwent carotid or intracranial angioplasty and/or stenting, or carotid endarterectomy during admission. Baseline clinical characteristics, imaging, and outcomes were reviewed. Data was organized into continuous and categorical variables. Results: Sixty-one patients met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Median age was 61 (IQR, 52-68) years; 33 (54%) were men, and 33 (54%) were African American. Median NIHSS was 11 (IQR, 8-15). Fourteen (23%) patients received IV Alteplase and 35 (57%) patients underwent mechanical thrombectomy. Five (8%) patients received both IV Alteplase and mechanical thrombectomy. Median ticagrelor start date was hospital day 1 (IQR, 0-3). Large artery atherosclerosis was presumed etiology in 53 (87%) patients. No patients experienced neurologic worsening, recurrent stroke, sICH, or major bleeding during inpatient stay. Sixty (98%) patients were on aspirin and ticagrelor at discharge. Follow-up information was available for 53 (87%) patients for a median duration of 3 (IQR, 2-6) months. Following discharge, 3 (5%) patients experienced recurrent ischemic stroke despite being compliant. One (2%) patient experienced major bleeding—gastrointestinal hemorrhage requiring transfusion—two months after hospital discharge. Conclusions: This study highlights the potential expanding role for ticagrelor in secondary stroke prevention in patients with moderate to severe stroke. Early ticagrelor use did not result in sICH during inpatient stay—and only 1 major bleeding event on follow-up—in our cohort. While further research in this area is needed, these findings present an exciting opportunity for future prospective studies.

scholarly journals 2D Parametric Parenchymal Blood Flow as a Predictor of the Hemorrhagic Events after Endovascular Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 522-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nada Elsaid ◽  
Ahmed Saied ◽  
Krishna Joshi ◽  
Jessica Nelson ◽  
John Baumgart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Dual Energy Ct ◽  
Anterior Circulation ◽  
Brain Scans ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Hemorrhagic Events ◽  
Ct Brain

Background and Purpose: Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is one of the major adverse events related to the endovascular management of acute ischemic stroke. It is important to evaluate the risk of ICH as it may result in clinical deterioration of the patients. Development of tools which can predict the risk of ICH after thrombectomy can reduce the procedure-related morbidity and mortality. 2D parenchymal blood flow could potentially act as an indicator for ICH. Methods: 2D parenchymal blood flow was used to evaluate pre- and postthrombectomy digital subtraction angiography series of patients with acute ischemic stroke in the anterior circulation. A recently developed software allows the separation of the vascular filling and parenchymal blush signals using band-pass and band-reject filtering to allow for greater visibility of the parenchyma offering a better visual indicator of the effect of treatment. The “wash-in rate” was selected as the parameter of interest to predict ICH. Results: According to the presence or absence of signs of intracranial parenchymal hemorrhage in the follow-up dual-energy CT brain scans, the patients were classified into a hemorrhagic and nonhemorrhagic group (15 patients each). The only significant difference between the groups is the calculated wash-in rate after thrombectomy (p = 0.024). The cutoff value of the wash-in rate after thrombectomy was suggested to be 11,925.0, with 60% sensitivity to predict the hemorrhage and 93.3% specificity. Conclusions: Elevated parametric parenchymal blood flow wash-in rates after thrombectomy may be associated with increased risk of hemorrhagic events.

Abstract P12: Alteplase Reduces Mortality in Patients With Ischemic Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation: Analysis of the IAC Study

Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shadi Yaghi ◽  
Eva Mistry ◽  
Adam H De Havenon ◽  
Christopher Leon Guerrero ◽  
Amre Nouh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Infarct Volume ◽  
Intravenous Thrombolysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Hemorrhagic Transformation ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Significant Difference

Background and Purpose: Multiple studies have established that intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase improves outcome after acute ischemic stroke. However, assessment of thrombolysis’ efficacy in stroke patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) has yielded mixed results. We sought to determine the association of alteplase with mortality, hemorrhagic transformation (HT), infarct volume, and mortality in patients with AF and acute ischemic stroke. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients with AF included in the Initiation of Anticoagulation after Cardioembolic stroke (IAC) study, which pooled data from 8 comprehensive stroke centers in the United States. 1889 (90.6%) had available 90-day follow up data and were included. For our primary analysis we used a cohort of 1367/1889 (72.4%) patients who did not undergo mechanical thrombectomy (MT). Secondary analyses were repeated in the patients that underwent MT (n=522). Binary logistic regression was used to determine whether alteplase use was independently associated with risk of HT, final infarct volume, and 90-day mortality, respectively, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: In our primary analyses we found that alteplase use was independently associated with an increased risk for HT (adjusted OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.49 - 3.07, p <0.001) but overall reduced risk of 90-day mortality (adjusted OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.39 - 0.87, p = 0.009). Among patients undergoing MT, alteplase use was associated with a trend towards a reduction in 90-day mortality (adjusted OR 0.68 95% CI 0.45 - 1.04, p = 0.077). In the subgroup of patients prescribed DOAC treatment (n = 327; 24 received alteplase), alteplase treatment was associated with a trend towards smaller infarct size (< 10 mL), (adjusted OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.15 - 1.12, p = 0.082) without a significant difference in the odds of 90-day mortality (adjusted OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.12 - 2.13, p = 0.357) or hemorrhagic transformation (adjusted OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.03 - 2.07, p = 0.206). Conclusion: Thrombolysis with intravenous alteplase was associated with reduced 90-day mortality in AF patients with acute ischemic stroke not undergoing MT. Further study is required to assess the safety and efficacy of alteplase in AF patients undergoing MT and those on DOACs.

Abstract 3060: Racial Disparities in Early Institution of “Do Not Resuscitate” Orders Influence Survival in Acute Ischemic Strokes.

Stroke ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pratik Bhattacharya ◽  
Ambooj Tiwari ◽  
Sam Watson ◽  
Scott Millis ◽  
Seemant Chaturvedi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
African American ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Racial Disparity ◽  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
Do Not Resuscitate ◽  
Dnr Orders

Background: The importance of early institution of “Do Not Resuscitate” (DNR) orders in determining outcomes from intracerebral hemorrhage is established. In the setting of acute ischemic stroke, African Americans tend to utilize critical care interventions more and palliative care options less than Caucasians. Recent epidemiological studies in acute ischemic stroke have shown a somewhat better survival for African Americans compared with Caucasians. Our hypothesis was that racial differences in early institution of DNR orders would influence mortality in acute ischemic stroke. Methods: a retrospective chart review was conducted on consecutive admissions for acute ischemic stroke across 10 hospitals in Michigan for the year 2006. Subjects with self reported race as African American or Caucasian were selected. Demographics, stroke risk factors, pre morbid status, DNR by day 2 of admission, stroke outcome and discharge destination were abstracted. Results: The study included 574 subjects (144 African American, 25.1%; 430 Caucasian, 74.9%). In-hospital mortality was significantly higher among Caucasians (8.6% vs. 1.4% amongst African Americans, p=0.003). More Caucasians had institution of DNR by day 2 than African Americans (22.5% vs. 4.3%, p<0.0001). When adjusted for racial differences in DNR by day 2 status, Caucasian race no longer predicted mortality. Caucasians were significantly older than African Americans (median age 76 vs. 63.5 years, p<0.0001); and age was a significant predictor of DNR by day 2 and mortality. In the adjusted analysis, however, age marginally influenced the racial disparity in mortality ( table ). Caucasians with coronary disease, atrial fibrillation, severe strokes and unable to walk prior to the stroke tend to be made DNR by day 2 more frequently. Only 27.1% of Caucasians with early DNR orders died in the hospital, whereas 20.8% were eventually discharged home. Conclusions: Early DNR orders result in a racial disparity in mortality from acute ischemic stroke. A substantial proportion of patients with early DNR orders eventually go home. Postponing the use of DNR orders may allow aggressive critical care interventions that may potentially mitigate the racial differences in mortality.

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