Direct Transfer to Angiosuite in Acute Stroke

Time to reperfusion is one of the strongest predictors of functional outcome in acute stroke due to a large vessel occlusion (LVO). Direct transfer to angiography suite (DTAS) protocols have shown encouraging results in reducing in-hospital delays. DTAS allows bypassing of conventional imaging in the emergency room by ruling out an intracranial hemorrhage or a large established infarct with imaging performed before transfer to the thrombectomy-capable center in the angiography suite using flat-panel CT (FP-CT). The rate of patients with stroke code primarily admitted to a comprehensive stroke center with a large ischemic established lesion is <10% within 6 hours from onset and remains <20% among patients with LVO or transferred from a primary stroke center. At the same time, stroke severity is an acceptable predictor of LVO. Therefore, ideal DTAS candidates are patients admitted in the early window with severe symptoms. The main difference between protocols adopted in different centers is the inclusion of FP-CT angiography to confirm an LVO before femoral puncture. While some centers advocate for FP-CT angiography, others favor additional time saving by directly assessing the presence of LVO with an angiogram. The latter, however, leads to unnecessary arterial punctures in patients with no LVO (3%–22% depending on selection criteria). Independently of these different imaging protocols, DTAS has been shown to be effective and safe in improving in-hospital workflow, achieving a reduction of door-to-puncture time as low as 16 minutes without safety concerns. The impact of DTAS on long-term functional outcomes varies between published studies, and randomized controlled trials are warranted to examine the benefit of DTAS.

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

Cerebrovascular Diseases ◽

10.1159/000516309 ◽

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

Introduction: 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. Methods: 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. Results: 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], p 0.03) and good functional outcome decreased (mRS ≤2 at 90 days: OR 0.6 [0.4–0.9], p 0.015) during the pandemic period. Conclusion: 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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Diagnostic value of transcranial ultrasonography for selecting subjects with large vessel occlusion: a systematic review

The Ultrasound Journal ◽

10.1186/s13089-019-0143-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Daria Antipova ◽

Leila Eadie ◽

Ashish Stephen Macaden ◽

Philip Wilson

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Diagnostic Accuracy ◽

Acute Stroke ◽

Clinical Assessment ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Large Vessel ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Direct Transfer ◽

Large Vessel Occlusion ◽

Vessel Occlusion

Abstract Introduction A number of pre-hospital clinical assessment tools have been developed to triage subjects with acute stroke due to large vessel occlusion (LVO) to a specialised endovascular centre, but their false negative rates remain high leading to inappropriate and costly emergency transfers. Transcranial ultrasonography may represent a valuable pre-hospital tool for selecting patients with LVO who could benefit from rapid transfer to a dedicated centre. Methods Diagnostic accuracy of transcranial ultrasonography in acute stroke was subjected to systematic review. Medline, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and The Cochrane Library were searched. Published articles reporting diagnostic accuracy of transcranial ultrasonography in comparison to a reference imaging method were selected. Studies reporting estimates of diagnostic accuracy were included in the meta-analysis. Results Twenty-seven published articles were selected for the systematic review. Transcranial Doppler findings, such as absent or diminished blood flow signal in a major cerebral artery and asymmetry index ≥ 21% were shown to be suggestive of LVO. It demonstrated sensitivity ranging from 68 to 100% and specificity of 78–99% for detecting acute steno-occlusive lesions. Area under the receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.91. Transcranial ultrasonography can also detect haemorrhagic foci, however, its application is largely restricted by lesion location. Conclusions Transcranial ultrasonography might potentially be used for the selection of subjects with acute LVO, to help streamline patient care and allow direct transfer to specialised endovascular centres. It can also assist in detecting haemorrhagic lesions in some cases, however, its applicability here is largely restricted. Additional research should optimize the scanning technique. Further work is required to demonstrate whether this diagnostic approach, possibly combined with clinical assessment, could be used at the pre-hospital stage to justify direct transfer to a regional thrombectomy centre in suitable cases.

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Progression of cerebral infarction before and after thrombectomy is modified by prehospital pathways

Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery ◽

10.1136/neurintsurg-2020-017155 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. neurintsurg-2020-017155

Author(s):

Alexander M Kollikowski ◽

Franziska Cattus ◽

Julia Haag ◽

Jörn Feick ◽

Alexander G März ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Patient Characteristics ◽

Large Vessel ◽

Stroke Severity ◽

Large Vessel Occlusion ◽

Time Intervals ◽

Vessel Occlusion ◽

Before And After ◽

Transferred Patients ◽

Stroke Center

BackgroundEvidence of the consequences of different prehospital pathways before mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in large vessel occlusion stroke is inconclusive. The aim of this study was to investigate the infarct extent and progression before and after MT in directly admitted (mothership) versus transferred (drip and ship) patients using the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS).MethodsASPECTS of 535 consecutive large vessel occlusion stroke patients eligible for MT between 2015 to 2019 were retrospectively analyzed for differences in the extent of baseline, post-referral, and post-recanalization infarction between the mothership and drip and ship pathways. Time intervals and transport distances of both pathways were analyzed. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the association between infarct progression (baseline to post-recanalization ASPECTS decline), patient characteristics, and logistic key figures.ResultsASPECTS declined during transfer (9 (8–10) vs 7 (6-9), p<0.0001), resulting in lower ASPECTS at stroke center presentation (mothership 9 (7–10) vs drip and ship 7 (6–9), p<0.0001) and on follow-up imaging (mothership 7 (4–8) vs drip and ship 6 (3–7), p=0.001) compared with mothership patients. Infarct progression was significantly higher in transferred patients (points lost, mothership 2 (0–3) vs drip and ship 3 (2–6), p<0.0001). After multivariable adjustment, only interfacility transfer, preinterventional clinical stroke severity, the degree of angiographic recanalization, and the duration of the thrombectomy procedure remained predictors of infarct progression (R2=0.209, p<0.0001).ConclusionsInfarct progression and postinterventional infarct extent, as assessed by ASPECTS, varied between the drip and ship and mothership pathway, leading to more pronounced infarction in transferred patients. ASPECTS may serve as a radiological measure to monitor the benefit or harm of different prehospital pathways for MT.

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In-Hospital Intravenous Thrombolysis Offers No Benefit in Mechanical Thrombectomy in Optimized Tertiary Stroke Center Setting

CardioVascular and Interventional Radiology ◽

10.1007/s00270-020-02727-8 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Juha-Pekka Pienimäki ◽

Jyrki Ollikainen ◽

Niko Sillanpää ◽

Sara Protto

Keyword(s):

Clinical Outcome ◽

Acute Stroke ◽

Mechanical Thrombectomy ◽

Clinical Laboratory ◽

Intravenous Thrombolysis ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Anterior Circulation ◽

Vessel Occlusion ◽

Ordinal Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Stroke Center

Abstract Purpose Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is the first-line treatment in acute stroke patients presenting with large vessel occlusion (LVO). The efficacy of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) prior to MT is being contested. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of MT without IVT in patients with no contraindications to IVT presenting directly to a tertiary stroke center with acute anterior circulation LVO. Materials and Methods We collected the data of 106 acute stroke patients who underwent MT in a single high-volume stroke center. Patients with anterior circulation LVO eligible for IVT and directly admitted to our institution who subsequently underwent MT were included. We recorded baseline clinical, laboratory, procedural, and imaging variables and technical, imaging, and clinical outcomes. The effect of intravenous thrombolysis on 3-month clinical outcome (mRS) was analyzed with univariate tests and binary and ordinal logistic regression analysis. Results Fifty-eight out of the 106 patients received IVT + MT. These patients had 2.6-fold higher odds of poorer clinical outcome in mRS shift analysis (p = 0.01) compared to MT-only patients who had excellent 3-month clinical outcome (mRS 0–1) three times more often (p = 0.009). There were no significant differences between the groups in process times, mTICI, or number of hemorrhagic complications. A trend of less distal embolization and higher number of device passes was observed among the MT-only patients. Conclusions MT without prior IVT was associated with an improved overall three-month clinical outcome in acute anterior circulation LVO patients.

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Epidemiological Surveillance of the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Stroke Care Using Artificial Intelligence

Stroke ◽

10.1161/strokeaha.120.031960 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Raul G. Nogueira ◽

Jason M. Davies ◽

Rishi Gupta ◽

Ameer E. Hassan ◽

Thomas Devlin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Artificial Intelligence ◽

Acute Stroke ◽

Systems Of Care ◽

Ct Perfusion ◽

Stroke Care ◽

Large Vessel ◽

Large Vessel Occlusion ◽

Vessel Occlusion ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

The Impact

Background and Purpose: The degree to which the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected systems of care, in particular, those for time-sensitive conditions such as stroke, remains poorly quantified. We sought to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 in the overall screening for acute stroke utilizing a commercial clinical artificial intelligence platform. Methods: Data were derived from the Viz Platform, an artificial intelligence application designed to optimize the workflow of patients with acute stroke. Neuroimaging data on suspected patients with stroke across 97 hospitals in 20 US states were collected in real time and retrospectively analyzed with the number of patients undergoing imaging screening serving as a surrogate for the amount of stroke care. The main outcome measures were the number of computed tomography (CT) angiography, CT perfusion, large vessel occlusions (defined according to the automated software detection), and severe strokes on CT perfusion (defined as those with hypoperfusion volumes >70 mL) normalized as number of patients per day per hospital. Data from the prepandemic (November 4, 2019 to February 29, 2020) and pandemic (March 1 to May 10, 2020) periods were compared at national and state levels. Correlations were made between the inter-period changes in imaging screening, stroke hospitalizations, and thrombectomy procedures using state-specific sampling. Results: A total of 23 223 patients were included. The incidence of large vessel occlusion on CT angiography and severe strokes on CT perfusion were 11.2% (n=2602) and 14.7% (n=1229/8328), respectively. There were significant declines in the overall number of CT angiographies (−22.8%; 1.39–1.07 patients/day per hospital, P <0.001) and CT perfusion (−26.1%; 0.50–0.37 patients/day per hospital, P <0.001) as well as in the incidence of large vessel occlusion (−17.1%; 0.15–0.13 patients/day per hospital, P <0.001) and severe strokes on CT perfusion (−16.7%; 0.12–0.10 patients/day per hospital, P <0.005). The sampled cohort showed similar declines in the rates of large vessel occlusions versus thrombectomy (18.8% versus 19.5%, P =0.9) and comprehensive stroke center hospitalizations (18.8% versus 11.0%, P =0.4). Conclusions: A significant decline in stroke imaging screening has occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis underscores the broader application of artificial intelligence neuroimaging platforms for the real-time monitoring of stroke systems of care.

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Pomona Large Vessel Occlusion Screening Tool for Prehospital and Emergency Room Settings

Interventional Neurology ◽

10.1159/000486515 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (3-4) ◽

pp. 196-203 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kessarin Panichpisal ◽

Kenneth Nugent ◽

Maharaj Singh ◽

Richard Rovin ◽

Reji Babygirija ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Los Angeles ◽

Acute Stroke ◽

Predictive Value ◽

Area Under The Curve ◽

Predictive Performance ◽

Large Vessel ◽

Stroke Severity ◽

Vessel Occlusion ◽

Comparable Accuracy ◽

Score Model

Background: Early identification of patients with acute ischemic strokes due to large vessel occlusions (LVO) is critical. We propose a simple risk score model to predict LVO. Method: The proposed scale (Pomona Scale) ranges from 0 to 3 and includes 3 items: gaze deviation, expressive aphasia, and neglect. We reviewed a cohort of all acute stroke activation patients between February 2014 and January 2016. The predictive performance of the Pomona Scale was determined and compared with several National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) cutoffs (≥4, ≥6, ≥8, and ≥10), the Los Angeles Motor Scale (LAMS), the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Severity (CPSS) scale, the Vision Aphasia and Neglect Scale (VAN), and the Prehospital Acute Stroke Severity Scale (PASS). Results: LVO was detected in 94 of 776 acute stroke activations (12%). A Pomona Scale ≥2 had comparable accuracy to predict LVO as the VAN and CPSS scales and higher accuracy than Pomona Scale ≥1, LAMS, PASS, and NIHSS. A Pomona Scale ≥2 had an accuracy (area under the curve) of 0.79, a sensitivity of 0.86, a specificity of 0.70, a positive predictive value of 0.71, and a negative predictive value of 0.97 for the detection of LVO. We also found that the presence of either neglect or gaze deviation alone had comparable accuracy of 0.79 as Pomona Scale ≥2 to detect LVO. Conclusion: The Pomona Scale is a simple and accurate scale to predict LVO. In addition, the presence of either gaze deviation or neglect also suggests the possibility of LVO.

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Abstract P855: Importance of Compliance in Dysphagia Screening in Acute Stroke Care

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.52.suppl_1.p855 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Patty Noah ◽

Melanie Henderson ◽

Rebekah Heintz ◽

Russell Cerejo ◽

Christopher T Hackett ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Stroke ◽

Aspiration Pneumonia ◽

Hemorrhagic Stroke ◽

Oral Intake ◽

Stroke Care ◽

Stroke Severity ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Acute Stroke Care ◽

Chi Square ◽

Stroke Center

Introduction: Dysphagia occurs in up to two thirds of stroke patients and can lead to serious complications such as aspiration pneumonia, which is also linked to increased morbidity and mortality. Evidence-based guidelines recommend a bedside dysphagia assessment before oral intake in stroke patients regardless of initial stroke severity. Several studies have described registered nurses’ competency in terms of knowledge and skills regarding dysphagia screening. We aimed to examine the rate of aspiration pneumonia compared to the rate of dysphagia screening. Methods: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data at a single tertiary stroke center was carried out between January 2017 and June 2020. Data comparison was completed utilizing ICD-10 diagnosis codes to identify aspiration pneumonia in ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients. The data was reviewed to compare the compliance of a completed dysphagia screen prior to any oral intake to rate of aspiration pneumonia. Chi square tests were used to assess proportion differences in completed dysphagia screen and proportion of aspiration pneumonia diagnosis in the ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients. Results: We identified 3320 patient that met inclusion criteria. 67% were ischemic strokes, 22% were intracerebral hemorrhages and 11% were subarachnoid hemorrhages. Compliance with dysphagia screening decreased from 94.2% (n=1555/1650) in 2017-2018 to 74.0% (n=1236/1670) in 2019-2020, OR=0.17 (95%CI 0.14 - 0.22), p < 0.0001. Aspiration pneumonias increased from 58 (3.5%) in 2017-2018 to 77 (4.6%) in 2019-2020, but this difference was not statistically significant, OR=0.75 (95%CI 0.53 - 1.07), p = 0.11. Conclusion: We noted that the decrease in compliance with completing a dysphagia screen in patients with acute stroke prior to any oral intake was associated with a higher trend of aspiration pneumonia.

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Abstract TMP1: Predicting Scale Design and Derivation to Select Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients for Direct Angiosuite Intervention

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.51.suppl_1.tmp1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Zeguang Ren ◽

Runqi Wangqin ◽

Maxim Mokin ◽

Anxin Wang ◽

Liang Zhao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Acute Stroke ◽

False Positive Rate ◽

False Negative ◽

False Negative Rate ◽

Vascular Imaging ◽

Operating Characteristics ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Additional Time ◽

Vessel Occlusion

Introduction: Vascular imaging after head CT to confirm large vessel occlusion (LVO) for acute stroke patients requires additional time and delays recanalization. We developed the T hrombectomy A cute M echanical re P erfusion A ssessment ( TAMPA ) scale for selecting patients with LVO for direct angiosuite transfer and intervention to improve recanalization time. Methods: The TAMPA scale was developed from our prospectively collected “Get with the Guidelines” database. We included all “stroke alert” patients between 1/2017 and 8/2018 with vascular imaging and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores between 5 and 25. We excluded patients with immediately obvious non-stroke diagnoses, those lacking subsequent vascular imaging, or those with incomplete records. Different variables were collected. The TAMPA scale receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC) was compared with the ROCs of other commonly used scales. Results: 571 eligible patients from 2115 “acute stroke alerts” were identified for developing the TAMPA scale. The scale was established with a combination of 5 items with a total score of 9: CT hyperdense sign, parenchymal hypodensity, lateralizing hemiparalysis, gaze deviation and speech disturbance. A cutoff of ≥ 4 yielded a sensitivity of 68.98%, specificity of 72.91%, false positive rate of 27.09%, and false negative rate of 31.02%. Compared with other scales, such as total NIHSS, C-stat/CPSSS, RACE, FAST-ED and 3I-SS, the TAMPA scale had the best ROC for the selected group of patients. Conclusions: The TAMPA scale accurately predicts presence of clinically amenable LVO in patients with moderate to severe ischemic stroke. Use of the TAMPA scale to identify high probability mechanical embolectomy candidates for direct transfer to the angiosuite could potentially reduce revascularization times and increase treatment rates.

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Abstract 33: Diagnostic Accuracy, Reperfusion Delay and Triage Scale Comparison: Real-World Paramedic Validation Results From the ACT-FAST Triage Algorithm for Thrombectomy

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.51.suppl_1.33 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Henry Zhao ◽

Karen Smith ◽

Stephen Bernard ◽

Michael Stephenson ◽

Christopher Bladin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diagnostic Accuracy ◽

Real World ◽

False Positive ◽

Vessel Occlusion ◽

Time Saving ◽

Hospital Transfer ◽

Comprehensive Stroke Center ◽

Stroke Center ◽

Direct Bypass ◽

Triage Algorithm

Background: Severity-based selection tools for large vessel occlusion (LVO) are limited by lack of validation in unselected prehospital stroke patients and concerns regarding delayed thrombolysis (tPA) and comprehensive stroke center (CSC) burdening. We examined these issues in a real-world validation of the two exam step (severe arm motor + speech or neglect) ACT-FAST LVO triage algorithm. Methods: The ACT-FAST statewide validation involved 15 metro and 17 rural hospitals in Victoria, Australia from Nov 2017-July 2019 with training of paramedics using an 8 min video. Prehospital paramedic assessments were correlated with hospital imaging to determine presence of LVO. Data were then examined for diagnostic accuracy, time saving for direct bypass to CSC using a validated Google maps model, rates and magnitude of delayed tPA in false-positive non-LVO infarcts, and extra CSC workload. Results: In 517 completed assessments, 58% involving non-EVT centers and including 114 (22%) LVO, ACT-FAST sensitivity was 81% (92/114) and specificity was 81% (325/403; 89% if ICH are not regarded as false-positive) for LVO. Figure compares to other LVO scales. Bypass to CSC was modelled to save median 71 min for analysis of 29 thrombectomy patients requiring inter-hospital transfer. Of 27 non-LVO infarcts with false positive ACT-FAST, only 4 (15%) received tPA at a non-CSC center, and bypass would have only added median 10 mins in these cases. The increase in CSC presentation using ACT-FAST triage was estimated to be 2-3.3 patients/week using estimated 7,200 suspected stroke cases/year across entire metro Victoria. Conclusion: In comprehensive real-world validation, the simple ACT-FAST algorithm detected LVO or ICH in almost 80% of positive assessments with highly favorable comparison to other scales. Prehospital bypass to CSC substantially reduces thrombectomy delay, and appears to strongly outweigh negatives of bypassing false positive cases on tPA delay and CSC overburdening.

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Frequency of Screening and Prevalence of Neurosyphilis in Stroke Population

Cerebrovascular Diseases ◽

10.1159/000508491 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 49 (3) ◽

pp. 301-306

Author(s):

Rodrigo Targa Martins ◽

Raphael Machado Castilhos ◽

Pablo Silva da Silva ◽

Leticia Scaranto Costa

Keyword(s):

Acute Stroke ◽

Venereal Disease ◽

International Classification Of Diseases ◽

Stroke Severity ◽

Positive Serology ◽

Csf Analysis ◽

Stroke Population ◽

Classification Of Diseases ◽

Stroke Center ◽

Ischemic Attack

Background and Aims: Syphilis and stroke are high prevalent diseases in south Brazil and estimates of concomitance and possible role of syphilis in acute stroke are lacking. Our aims are to estimate the prevalence of syphilis and neurosyphilis (NS) in a cohort of tertiary stroke center. Methods: We reviewed all hospital records of stroke/transitory ischemic attack (TIA) using International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, at discharge, frequency of syphilis screen, serology positivity, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, and prevalence of NS in this stroke population applying CDC criteria. Results: Between 2015 and 2016, there were 1,436 discharges for cerebrovascular events and in 78% (1,119) of these cases, some syphilis screening was performed. We have found a frequency of positive serology for syphilis of 13% (143/1,119), and higher stroke severity was the main determinant for non-screening. Applying standard NS criteria, 4.7% (53/1,119) cases with CSF analysis had NS diagnosis: 8 based on CSF-Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) positive and 45 based on abnormal CSF white cells or protein, but CSF VDRL negative. NS VDRL positive cases were younger, had higher serum VDRL title, had more frequent HIV infection, and received NS treatment more often. Demographic and clinical characteristics were not different between NS VDRL negative and non-NS cases. Conclusion: Positive syphilis serology is frequent in patients with acute stroke/TIA in our region. Acute post-stroke CSF abnormalities make the diagnosis of NS difficult in the context of CSF VDRL negative.

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