scholarly journals Global Epidemiology of Stroke and Access to Acute Ischemic Stroke Interventions

Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 97 (20 Supplement 2) ◽  
pp. S6-S16
Author(s):  
Vasu Saini ◽  
Luis Guada ◽  
Dileep R. Yavagal
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Time Window ◽  
Systems Of Care ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Acute Stroke Care ◽  
Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Global Epidemiology

Purpose of the ReviewTo provide an up-to-date review of the incidence of stroke and large vessel occlusion (LVO) around the globe, as well as the eligibility and access to IV thrombolysis (IVT) and mechanical thrombectomy (MT) worldwide.Recent FindingsRandomized clinical trials have established MT with or without IVT as the usual care for patients with LVO stroke for up to 24 hours from symptom onset. Eligibility for IVT has extended beyond 4.5 hours based on permissible imaging criteria. With these advances in the last 5 years, there has been a notable increase in the population of patients eligible for acute stroke interventions. However, access to acute stroke care and utilization of MT or IVT is lagging in these patients.SummaryStroke is the second leading cause of both disability and death worldwide, with the highest burden of the disease shared by low- and middle-income countries. In 2016, there were 13.7 million new incident strokes globally; ≈87% of these were ischemic strokes and by conservative estimation about 10%–20% of these account for LVO. Fewer than 5% of patients with acute ischemic stroke received IVT globally in the eligible therapeutic time window and fewer than 100,000 MTs were performed worldwide in 2016. This highlights the large gap among eligible patients and the low utilization rates of these advances across the globe. Multiple global initiatives are underway to investigate interventions to improve systems of care and bridge this gap.

Acute Stroke Management in the First 24 Hours

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Time Window ◽  
Systems Of Care ◽  
Treatment Decision ◽  
Team Work ◽  
Hospital Organization ◽  
Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Clinical Scenarios

Diagnosis and treatment of acute stroke has advanced considerably in the past 2 decades. Most notably, in cases of ischemic stroke, intravenous alteplase has become the standard of medical treatment despite its multiple contraindications and limited time window. More recently, trials have proven that endovascular thrombectomy is superior to medical therapy alone, advancing the standard of care for patients who present with acute ischemic stroke from a large vessel occlusion and salvageable brain tissue. The treatment of hemorrhagic stroke now involves the use of novel pharmacological agents and advanced minimally invasive technology. Important changes have also occurred at the levels of hospital organization and treatment decision-making. Such changes in organization and designation of hospitals with distinct levels of stroke care and the variety of stroke protocols now requires team work of emergency medical services (EMS), Emergency Department, stroke neurologists, neurosurgeons, and neurointerventionalists. This book provides an overview of the modern medical and surgical options for the treatment of patients with acute ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. The pivotal role of EMS in prehospital evaluation and triage of a stroke patient and the levels of stroke systems of care are discussed. In addition, the current guidelines on the management of acute stroke, with the focus on early care of acute stroke patients at the Emergency Department and the first 24 hours of hospital admission, are reviewed. Each chapter contains a discussion of common clinical scenarios including initial management steps, practical points, and common pitfalls.

scholarly journals Challenging the Ischemic Core Concept in Acute Ischemic Stroke Imaging

Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (10) ◽  
pp. 3147-3155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayank Goyal ◽  
Johanna M. Ospel ◽  
Bijoy Menon ◽  
Mohammed Almekhlafi ◽  
Mahesh Jayaraman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Endovascular Treatment ◽  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Neuronal Loss ◽  
Treatment Decision ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Core Concept ◽  
Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Ischemic Core

Endovascular treatment is a highly effective therapy for acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion and has recently revolutionized stroke care. Oftentimes, ischemic core extent on baseline imaging is used to determine endovascular treatment-eligibility. There are, however, 3 fundamental issues with the core concept: First, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, which are mostly used in the acute stroke setting, are not able to precisely determine whether and to what extent brain tissue is infarcted (core) or still viable, due to variability in tissue vulnerability, the phenomenon of selective neuronal loss and lack of a reliable gold standard. Second, treatment decision-making in acute stroke is multifactorial, and as such, the relative importance of single variables, including imaging factors, is reduced. Third, there are often discrepancies between core volume and clinical outcome. This review will address the uncertainty in terminology and proposes a direction towards more clarity. This theoretical exercise needs empirical data that clarify the definitions further and prove its value.

scholarly journals A cross-sectional study of awareness regarding dog bite and its management in rural community of Maharashtra, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 1307
Author(s):  
Mohammed Alqwaifly
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Acute Stroke Care ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Stroke Treatment

Background: Stroke is a major cause of morbidity and disability worldwide. However, its outcomes have improved in the last few years with advancement in acute stroke treatment, including the use of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) within 4.5 hours of onset, which led several international guidelines to adopt it as the standard of care. In this study, authors sought to assess the knowledge, practices, and attitudes of emergency and medicine staff in Qassim, Saudi Arabia toward acute ischemic stroke care.Methods: A quantitative observational cross-sectional study involving 148 physicians from emergency and medicine departments (only three neurologists) was conducted in three main hospitals of the Qassim region, Saudi Arabia. Information was obtained from a self-administered questionnaire. A logistic regression model was used to control for potential confounding factors.Results: Ninety-two percent of participants were aware of t-PA. Eighty-seven percent of participants thought that t-PA was an effective treatment for acute ischemic stroke. Only 20% of participants had given t-PA or participated in the use of t-PA in acute ischemic stroke. Moreover, 64% of participants believed that allowing blood pressure to remain high was the most appropriate action in the first 24 hours in acute ischemic stroke patients who presented outside the t-PA window.Conclusion: Most of the emergency and medicine staff are well informed about t-PA, but the majority of these physicians have never given t-PA or participated in the administration of t-PA to a stroke patient. The main finding here is the positive outlook among emergency and medicine physicians in Qassim toward training in acute stroke care and administering t-PA for stroke, which will positively impact patient outcomes.

scholarly journals Ongoing Improvement in Acute Ischemic Stroke Therapy Per Concurrent Guidelines and Easily Implementable Quality Improvement Protocol

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 01-09
Author(s):  
Wengui Yu
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Stroke Therapy ◽  
Acute Stroke Care ◽  
Stroke Registry ◽  
Intravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator

Background: Despite proven efficacy of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in acute ischemic stroke, there has been slow administration of these therapies in the real world practice. We examined the ongoing quality improvement in acute stroke care at our comprehensive stroke center. Methods: Consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke from 2013 to 2018 were studied. Patients were managed using Code Stroke algorithm per concurrent AHA guidelines and a simple quality improvement protocol implemented in 2015. Demographics and clinical data were collected from Get-With-The-Guideline-Stroke registry and electronic medical records. Patients were divided into 3 groups per admission and implementation date of quality improvement initiatives. Quality measures, including rates of intravenous tPA and EVT, door-to-needle (DTN) time, and door-to-puncture (DTP) time, were analyzed with general mean linear regression models and Jonckheere-Terpstra test. Results: Of the 1,369 eligible patients presenting within 24 hours of symptom onset or wakeup stroke, the rate of intravenous tPA was 20%, 30% and 22%, respectively, in 2013-2014, 2015-2016, and 2017-2018. In contrast, EVT rate was 9%, 14% and 15%, respectively. Based on Jonckheere-Terpstra test, there was significant ongoing improvement in the median DTN time (57, 45, 39 minutes; p < 0.001) and DTP time (172, 130, 114 minutes; p =0.009) during the 3 time periods, with DTN time ≤ 60 and ≤45 minutes in 80% and 63% patients, respectively, in 2017-2018. Conclusions: Getting with the guidelines and simple quality improvement initiatives are associated with satisfactory rates of acute stroke therapy and ongoing improvement in door to treatment times.

Abstract T P37: Routine CT Angiography in Acute Stroke Does Not Delay Acute Stroke Care

Stroke ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gisele S Silva ◽  
Renata C Miranda ◽  
Rodrigo M Massaud ◽  
Andreia M Vacari ◽  
Miguel Cendoroglo Neto
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Intravenous Thrombolysis ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Tertiary Hospital ◽  
Acute Stroke Care ◽  
Time Intervals ◽  
Radiology Report ◽  
Group 2

Introduction: Vascular imaging is increasingly used for diagnosis of arterial occlusions in acute ischemic stroke. Hypothesis:We hypothesized that time intervals using a CTA based acute ischemic stroke protocol are not increased when compared to an earlier non-CTA based protocol. Methods: We evaluated a database of consecutive patients admitted to a Brazilian tertiary hospital with acute ischemic stroke from February 2009 to March 2014 and reviewed our stroke quality measures data to determine if the time required to obtain CTA prolonged door-to-neuroimaging, door to radiology report and door-to-needle times. Patients were categorized into: Group 1 (February 2009 to October 2013) (Non-contrast CT Scan based acute stroke protocol) and Group 2 (November 2013 to August 2014) (CTA based acute stroke protocol). Time intervals were compared between the two groups.Results: We evaluated 415 consecutive patients, 20 of whom (4.8%) had a CTA in the acute phase (Group 2). Patients in groups 1 and 2 had similar onset-to-door times (1.86 [0.75-3.58] versus 2.75 hours [1.0-8.49], p=0.09); door to neuroimaging times (27.6 [18.6-46.8] versus 37.8 minutes [23.4-46.2], p=0.28 ) and door to radiology report intervals (39 [27-60.6] versus 53.4 minutes[35.4-61.2], p=0.09). The frequency of treatment with recanalization therapies ( either intravenous thrombolysis or endovascular procedures) was similar between groups 1 (30%) and 2 (21%), p=0.33, as well as door to needle times (p=0.09). Conclusions: CTA based acute stroke care does not significantly delay time to neuroimaging or thrombolysis in routine clinical practice.

Abstract WP273: Evolution of a U.S. County System for Acute Comprehensive Stroke Care

Stroke ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Radoslav I Raychev ◽  
Dana Stradling ◽  
David M Brown ◽  
Joey R Gee ◽  
David L Lombardi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Systems Of Care ◽  
Early Recognition ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Reperfusion Therapy ◽  
Acute Stroke Care ◽  
Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Transfer Rates ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Iv Tpa

Introduction: In an effort to maximize provision of acute stroke therapies, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Orange County, CA (6 th most populous U.S. county) established a system of care whereby patients with suspected acute stroke are taken to hub sites with endovascular treatment (EVT) capability or to spoke hospitals. Patients at spokes with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and suspected large vessel occlusion (LVO) are transferred by EMS to hubs. Here we examined the relationship between stroke features, hospital transfers, and mortality; and their change over time. Methods: All patients during 2013-2015 were included for whom 911 was called within 7 hours of onset, and EMS personnel declared “acute stroke" at end of initial evaluation. Results: A total of 6,188 patients (mean age 72) had suspected stroke, of which 54.9% were AIS and 19.4% hemorrhagic stroke. Across all patients, transfer rates into hub sites increased over time (OR 1.12 per 3-months, p<0.0001) and differed by diagnosis (p<0.0001), with transfer in 12.0% of hemorrhages (n=122) but only 3.5% of AIS (n=101). Among patients with AIS only, transfer rates into a hub site increased over time (OR 1.08, p<0.0001), spiking mid-2015. Acute reperfusion therapy was given to 28.3% (20.9% IV tPA only, 3.6% IA therapy only, 3.8% IV tPA+IA), but its usage was unrelated to transfer status, and only 11% of all transferred AIS patients received EVT. Across all patients, mortality during acute hospitalization was 8.2% and did not differ by transfer status, but did differ by diagnosis (p<0.0001): 23.6% of hemorrhages vs. 5.4% of AIS. Over time, mortality decreased only among patients with AIS (OR 0.95, p=0.03). Conclusions: There were several favorable features of this acute stroke care system, including that 28.3% of AIS patients received reperfusion therapy and that mortality decreased over time. However, while transfer to EVT-ready sites increased, rates of IA therapy were low. Continued efforts to optimize acute stroke systems of care should be tailored toward increasing EVT by early recognition of LVO and timely triage to hub facilities.

scholarly journals Acute Ischemic Stroke in COVID-19: Putative Mechanisms, Clinical Characteristics, and Management

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Ademola S. Ojo ◽  
Simon A. Balogun ◽  
Ahmed O. Idowu
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Acute Stroke Care

The emergence and spread of the highly contagious novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have triggered the greatest public health challenge of the last century. Aside from being a primary respiratory disease, acute ischemic stroke has emerged as a complication of the disease. While current evidence shows COVID-19 could cause ischemic stroke especially in severe disease, there are similarities in the risk factors for severe COVID-19 as well as ischemic stroke, underscoring the complex relationship between these two conditions. The pandemic has created challenges for acute stroke care. Rapid assessment and time-sensitive interventions required for optimum outcomes in acute stroke care have been complicated by COVID-19 due to the need for disease transmission preventive measures. The purpose of this article is to explore the putative mechanisms of ischemic stroke in COVID-19 and the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients who develop ischemic stroke. In addition, we discuss the challenges of managing acute ischemic stroke in the setting of COVID-19 and review current management guidelines. We also highlighted potential areas for future research.

scholarly journals CNS Francis McNaughton Memorial Prize

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (S1) ◽  
pp. S9-S9
Author(s):  
JC Furlan ◽  
J Fang ◽  
FL Silver
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Normal Limit ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Hemoglobin Concentration ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Acute Stroke Care ◽  
Degree Of Disability ◽  
Stroke Center

Background: This study examines whether abnormal blood hemoglobin concentration (bHB) is associated with worse clinical outcomes and poorer prognosis after acute ischemic stroke. Methods: We included data from the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network on consecutive patients with ischemic stroke who were admitted between July/2003 and March/2008. Patients were divided into groups as follows: low bHB, normal bHB, and high bHB. Primary outcome measures were the frequency of moderate/severe strokes on admission (Canadian Neurological Scale: <8), greater degree of disability at discharge (modified Rankin score: 3-6), and 30-day and 90-day mortality. Results: Higher bHB than the superior normal limit is associated with greater degree of impairment (OR=1.45, 95%CI: 1.06-1.95, p=0.0195) and disability (OR=1.49, 95%CI: 1.03-2.15, p=0.0331), and higher 30-day mortality (HR=1.98, 95%CI: 1.44-2.74, p<0.0001) after adjustment for major potential confounders. The Kaplan-Meier curves indicate that abnormal bHB is associated with higher mortality after acute ischemic stroke (p<0.0001). Lower bHB than the inferior normal limit is associated with longer stay in the acute stroke care center (OR=1.11, 95%CI: 1.02-1.22, p=0.017). Conclusions: Polycythemia on the initial admission is associated with poorer prognosis regarding the degree of impairment and disability, and 30-day mortality after an acute ischemic stroke. Anemia on admission is associated with longer stay in the acute stroke center.

scholarly journals Impact of SARS-CoV-2 on reperfusion therapies for acute ischemic stroke in Lombardy, Italy. The STROKOVID network

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Pezzini ◽  
Mario Grassi ◽  
Giorgio Silvestrelli ◽  
Martina Locatelli ◽  
Nicola Rifino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Hospital Death ◽  
Acute Stroke Care ◽  
Process Measures ◽  
Endovascular Thrombectomy ◽  
Collaborative Project ◽  
Occlusive Lesion

Abstract Whether and how SARS-CoV-2 outbreak affected in-hospital acute stroke care system is still matter of debate. In the setting of the STROKOVID network, a collaborative project between the 10 centers designed as hubs for the treatment of acute stroke during SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Lombardy, Italy, we retrospectively compared clinical features and process measures of patients with confirmed infection (COVID-19) and non-infected patients (non-COVID-19) who underwent reperfusion therapies for acute ischemic stroke. Between March 8 and April 30, 2020, 296 consecutive patients (median age, 74 [interquartile range (IQR), 62–80.75] years; males, 154 [52.0%]; 34 [11.5%] COVID-19) qualified for the analysis. Time from symptoms onset to treatment was longer in the COVID-19 group (230 [IQR, 200.5–270] minutes vs 190 [IQR, 150–245] minutes; p=0.007), especially in the first half of the study period. Patients with COVID-19 who underwent endovascular thrombectomy had more frequently absent collaterals or collaterals filling ≤50% of the occluded territory (50.0% vs 16.6%; OR, 5.05; 95% CI, 1.82–13.80) and a lower rate of good/complete recanalization of the primary arterial occlusive lesion (55.6% vs 81.0%; OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.10–0.80). Post-procedural intracranial hemorrhages were more frequent (35.3% vs 19.5%; OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.04-4.83) and outcome was worse among COVID-19 patients (in-hospital death, 38.2% vs 8.8%; OR, 6.43; 95% CI, 2.85-14.50). Our findings showed longer delays in the intra-hospital management of acute ischemic stroke in COVID-19 patients, especially in the early phase of the outbreak, that likely impacted patients outcome and should be the target of future interventions.

scholarly journals Bottlenecks in the Acute Stroke Care System during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Catalonia

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Anna Ramos-Pachón ◽  
Álvaro García-Tornel ◽  
Mònica Millán ◽  
Marc Ribó ◽  
Sergi Amaro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Functional Outcome ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Stroke Severity ◽  
Acute Stroke Care ◽  
Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Prehospital Delays ◽  
The Impact

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant healthcare reorganizations, potentially striking standard medical care. We investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on acute stroke care quality and clinical outcomes to detect healthcare system’s bottlenecks from a territorial point of view. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Crossed-data analysis between a prospective nation-based mandatory registry of acute stroke, Emergency Medical System (EMS) records, and daily incidence of COVID-19 in Catalonia (Spain). We included all stroke code activations during the pandemic (March 15–May 2, 2020) and an immediate prepandemic period (January 26–March 14, 2020). Primary outcomes were stroke code activations and reperfusion therapies in both periods. Secondary outcomes included clinical characteristics, workflow metrics, differences across types of stroke centers, correlation analysis between weekly EMS alerts, COVID-19 cases, and workflow metrics, and impact on mortality and clinical outcome at 90 days. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Stroke code activations decreased by 22% and reperfusion therapies dropped by 29% during the pandemic period, with no differences in age, stroke severity, or large vessel occlusion. Calls to EMS were handled 42 min later, and time from onset to hospital arrival increased by 53 min, with significant correlations between weekly COVID-19 cases and more EMS calls (rho = 0.81), less stroke code activations (rho = −0.37), and longer prehospital delays (rho = 0.25). Telestroke centers were afflicted with higher reductions in stroke code activations, reperfusion treatments, referrals to endovascular centers, and increased delays to thrombolytics. The independent odds of death increased (OR 1.6 [1.05–2.4], <i>p</i> 0.03) and good functional outcome decreased (mRS ≤2 at 90 days: OR 0.6 [0.4–0.9], <i>p</i> 0.015) during the pandemic period. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> During the COVID-19 pandemic, Catalonia’s stroke system’s weakest points were the delay to EMS alert and a decline of stroke code activations, reperfusion treatments, and interhospital transfers, mostly at local centers. Patients suffering an acute stroke during the pandemic period had higher odds of poor functional outcome and death. The complete stroke care system’s analysis is crucial to allocate resources appropriately.

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