scholarly journals Performance of automated CT ASPECTS in comparison to physicians at different levels on evaluating acute ischemic stroke at a single institution in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaochuan Huo ◽  
Raynald ◽  
Hailan Jin ◽  
Yin Yin ◽  
Guangming Yang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Our aim was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the automated computer-based Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (e-ASPECTS) for acute stroke patients and compare the result with physicians at different levels. Methods In our center, e-ASPECTS and 9 physicians at different levels retrospectively and blindly assessed baseline computed tomography (CT) images of 55 patients. Sensitivity, specificity, receiver-operating characteristic curves, Bland–Altman plots with mean score error, and Matthews correlation coefficients were calculated. Comparisons were made between the scores by physicians and e-ASPECTS with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) being the ground truth. Two methods for clustered data were used to estimate sensitivity and specificity in the region-based analysis. Results In total, 1100 (55 patients × 20 regions per patient) ASPECTS regions were scored. In the region-based analysis, sensitivity of e-ASPECTS was better than junior doctors and residents (0.576 vs 0.165 and 0.111, p < 0.05) but inferior to senior doctors (0.576 vs 0.617). Specificity was lower than junior doctors and residents (0.883 vs 0.971 and 0.914) but higher than senior doctors (0.883 vs 0.809, p < 0.05). E-ASPECTS had the best Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.529, compared to senior doctors, junior doctors, and residents (0.463, 0.251, and 0.087, respectively). Conclusions e-ASPECTS showed a similar performance to that of senior physicians in the assessment of brain CT of acute ischemic stroke patients with the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score method.

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 615-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Nagel ◽  
Devesh Sinha ◽  
Diana Day ◽  
Wolfgang Reith ◽  
René Chapot ◽  
...  

Background The Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) is an established 10-point quantitative topographic computed tomography scan score to assess early ischemic changes. We performed a non-inferiority trial between the e-ASPECTS software and neuroradiologists in scoring ASPECTS on non-contrast enhanced computed tomography images of acute ischemic stroke patients. Methods In this multicenter study, e-ASPECTS and three independent neuroradiologists retrospectively and blindly assessed baseline non-contrast enhanced computed tomography images of 132 patients with acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke. Follow-up scans served as ground truth to determine the definite area of infarction. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for region- and score-based analysis, receiver-operating characteristic curves, Bland-Altman plots and Matthews correlation coefficients relative to the ground truth were calculated and comparisons were made between neuroradiologists and different pre-specified e-ASPECTS operating points. The non-inferiority margin was set to 10% for both sensitivity and specificity on region-based analysis. Results In total 2640 (132 patients × 20 regions per patient) ASPECTS regions were scored. Mean time from onset to baseline computed tomography was 146 ± 124 min and median NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was 11 (6–17, interquartile range). Median ASPECTS for ground truth on follow-up imaging was 8 (6.5–9, interquartile range). In the region-based analysis, two e-ASPECTS operating points (sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 44%, 93%, 87% and 44%, 91%, 85%) were statistically non-inferior to all three neuroradiologists (all p-values <0.003). Both Matthews correlation coefficients for e-ASPECTS were higher (0.36 and 0.34) than those of all neuroradiologists (0.32, 0.31, and 0.3). Conclusions e-ASPECTS was non-inferior to three neuroradiologists in scoring ASPECTS on non-contrast enhanced computed tomography images of acute stroke patients.


Medicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 99 (52) ◽  
pp. e23870
Author(s):  
Leanne Brechtel ◽  
Nicolas Poupore ◽  
Teodora Stoikov ◽  
Laurie Theriot Roley ◽  
John F. Emerson ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 540-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adnan I Qureshi ◽  
Foad Abd-Allah ◽  
Fahmi Al-Senani ◽  
Emrah Aytac ◽  
Afshin Borhani-Haghighi ◽  
...  

Background and purpose On 11 March 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 infection a pandemic. The risk of ischemic stroke may be higher in patients with COVID-19 infection similar to those with other respiratory tract infections. We present a comprehensive set of practice implications in a single document for clinicians caring for adult patients with acute ischemic stroke with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection. Methods The practice implications were prepared after review of data to reach the consensus among stroke experts from 18 countries. The writers used systematic literature reviews, reference to previously published stroke guidelines, personal files, and expert opinion to summarize existing evidence, indicate gaps in current knowledge, and when appropriate, formulate practice implications. All members of the writing group had opportunities to comment in writing on the practice implications and approved the final version of this document. Results This document with consensus is divided into 18 sections. A total of 41 conclusions and practice implications have been developed. The document includes practice implications for evaluation of stroke patients with caution for stroke team members to avoid COVID-19 exposure, during clinical evaluation and performance of imaging and laboratory procedures with special considerations of intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy in stroke patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection. Conclusions These practice implications with consensus based on the currently available evidence aim to guide clinicians caring for adult patients with acute ischemic stroke who are suspected of, or confirmed, with COVID-19 infection. Under certain circumstances, however, only limited evidence is available to support these practice implications, suggesting an urgent need for establishing procedures for the management of stroke patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 175628642110211
Author(s):  
Georgios Magoufis ◽  
Apostolos Safouris ◽  
Guy Raphaeli ◽  
Odysseas Kargiotis ◽  
Klearchos Psychogios ◽  
...  

Recent randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) have revolutionized acute ischemic stroke care by extending the use of intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular reperfusion therapies in time windows that have been originally considered futile or even unsafe. Both systemic and endovascular reperfusion therapies have been shown to improve outcome in patients with wake-up strokes or symptom onset beyond 4.5 h for intravenous thrombolysis and beyond 6 h for endovascular treatment; however, they require advanced neuroimaging to select stroke patients safely. Experts have proposed simpler imaging algorithms but high-quality data on safety and efficacy are currently missing. RCTs used diverse imaging and clinical inclusion criteria for patient selection during the dawn of this novel stroke treatment paradigm. After taking into consideration the dismal prognosis of nonrecanalized ischemic stroke patients and the substantial clinical benefit of reperfusion therapies in selected late presenters, we propose rescue reperfusion therapies for acute ischemic stroke patients not fulfilling all clinical and imaging inclusion criteria as an option in a subgroup of patients with clinical and radiological profiles suggesting low risk for complications, notably hemorrhagic transformation as well as local or remote parenchymal hemorrhage. Incorporating new data to treatment algorithms may seem perplexing to stroke physicians, since treatment and imaging capabilities of each stroke center may dictate diverse treatment pathways. This narrative review will summarize current data that will assist clinicians in the selection of those late presenters that will most likely benefit from acute reperfusion therapies. Different treatment algorithms are provided according to available neuroimaging and endovascular treatment capabilities.


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