scholarly journals Outcome of intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke in patients with and without atrial fibrillation

2017 ◽  
Vol 70 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 203-208
Author(s):  
Zeljko Zivanovic ◽  
Dragan Adamovic ◽  
Aleksandra Lucic-Prokin ◽  
Timea Kokai-Zekic ◽  
Jelena Sekaric ◽  
...  

Introduction. Atrial fibrillation is associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke. The benefit of intravenous thrombolysis in patients with acute ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation is still unclear. The aim of the study was to assess and compare the effects of intravenous thrombolysis in stroke patients with and without atrial fibrillation. Material and Methods. We analyzed stroke patients who were treated with intravenous thrombolysis. Patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of atrial fibrillation. Demographic, clinical and radiological characteristics of patients were compared between the two groups. The treatment efficacy was evaluated in relation to the improvement of neurological status after 24 hours, and functional recovery after three months. Binary logistic regression was used to evaluate predictors of outcome. Results. From a total of 188 patients, 39.4% presented with atrial fibrillation. Patients with atrial fibrillation were older (69.4 vs. 62.6 years; p <0.0001), with female predominance (43.2% vs. 28.9%, p = 0.04) and had clinically more severe stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, score on admission 15.4 vs. 12.1; p = 0.0001). Significantly more patients without atrial fibrillation (61.4% vs. 43.2%, p = 0.01) had a favorable clinical outcome at three months after stroke. Nevertheless, atrial fibrillation was not an independent predictor of poor outcome at three months after stroke (p=0.66). Conclusion. Acute ischemic stroke patients, with atrial fibrillation, treated with intravenous thrombolysis, had worse outcomes than patients without atrial fibrillation did. However, it is mainly due to older age and a more severe stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shadi Yaghi ◽  
Eva Mistry ◽  
Adam H De Havenon ◽  
Christopher Leon Guerrero ◽  
Amre Nouh ◽  
...  

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.


Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 10.1212/WNL.0000000000013055
Author(s):  
Ludwig Schlemm ◽  
Tim Bastian Braemswig ◽  
Florent Boutitie ◽  
Jan Vynckier ◽  
Märit Jensen ◽  
...  

Background and ObjectivesCerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are common in acute ischemic stroke patients and are associated with increased risk of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) after intravenous thrombolysis. Whether CMBs modify the treatment effect of thrombolysis is unknown.MethodsWe performed a pre-specified analysis of the prospective randomized controlled multicenter WAKE-UP trial including patients with acute ischemic stroke with unknown time of symptom onset and DWI-FLAIR mismatch on MRI receiving alteplase or placebo. Patients were screened and enrolled between September 2012 and June 2017 (with final follow-up in September 2017). Patients were randomized to treatment with intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase at 0.9 mg / kg body weight or placebo. CMB status (presence, number, and distribution) was assessed after study completion by three raters blinded to clinical information following a standardized protocol. Outcome measures were excellent functional outcome at 90 days, defined by modified Rankin Scale score (mRS)≤1, and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) according to NINDS trial criteria 22 to 36 hours after treatment.ResultsOf 503 patients enrolled in the WAKE-UP trial, 459 (91.3%; 288 [63%] men) were available for analysis; 98 (21.4%) had at least 1 CMB on baseline imaging; 45 (9.8%) had exactly 1 CMB, 37 (8.1%) had 2-4 CMBs, and 16 (3.5%) had ≥5 CMBs. Presence of CMBs was associated with a non-significant increased risk of symptomatic ICH (11.2% versus 4.2%; adjusted odds ratio 2.32 [95% CI 0.99-5.43]; P=.052), but had no effect on functional outcome at 90 days (mRS≤1: 45.8% versus 50.7%; adj. OR 0.99 [0.59-1.64]; P=.955). Patients receiving alteplase had better functional outcome (mRS≤1: 54.6% versus 44.6%, adj. OR 1.61 [1.07-2.43], P=.022) without evidence of heterogeneity in relation to CMB presence (P value of the interactive term .546). Results were similar for subpopulations with strictly lobar (presumed cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related) or non-strictly-lobar CMB distribution.DiscussionIn the randomized-controlled WAKE-UP trial, we saw no evidence of reduced treatment effect of alteplase in acute ischemic stroke patients with one or more CMBs. Additional studies are needed to determine the treatment effect of alteplase and its benefit-harm-ratio in patients with a larger number of CMBs.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01525290 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01525290); EudraCT number, 2011-005906-32 (https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/trial/2011-005906-32/GB).Classification of EvidenceThis study provides Class II evidence that for patients with acute ischemic stroke with unknown time of onset and DWI-FLAIR mismatch who received IV alteplase, CMBs are not significantly associated with functional outcome at 90 days.


Author(s):  
Shadi Yaghi ◽  
Eva Mistry ◽  
Adam de Havenon ◽  
Christopher R. Leon Guerrero ◽  
Amre Nouh ◽  
...  

Background Intravenous alteplase improves outcome after acute ischemic stroke without a benefit in 90‐day mortality. There are limited data on whether alteplase is associated with reduced mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF)‐related ischemic stroke whose mortality rate is relatively high. We sought to determine the association of alteplase with hemorrhagic transformation and mortality in patients with AF. Methods and Results We retrospectively analyzed consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke between 2015 and 2018 diagnosed with AF included in the IAC (Initiation of Anticoagulation After Cardioembolic Stroke) study, which pooled data from stroke registries at 8 comprehensive stroke centers across the United States. For our primary analysis, we included patients who did not undergo mechanical thrombectomy (MT), and secondary analyses included patients who underwent MT. We used binary logistic regression to determine whether alteplase use was associated with risk of hemorrhagic transformation and 90‐day mortality. There were 1889 patients (90.6%) who had 90‐day follow‐up data available for analyses and were included; 1367 patients (72.4%) did not receive MT, and 522 patients (27.6%) received MT. In our primary analyses we found that alteplase use was independently associated with an increased risk for hemorrhagic transformation (odds ratio [OR], 2.23; 95% CI, 1.57–3.17) but reduced risk of 90‐day mortality (OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.39–0.87). Among patients undergoing MT, alteplase use was not associated with a significant reduction in 90‐day mortality (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.45–1.04). Conclusions Alteplase reduced 90‐day mortality of patients with acute ischemic stroke with AF not undergoing MT. Further study is required to assess the efficacy of alteplase in patients with AF undergoing MT.


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.


Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 347
Author(s):  
Zsuzsa Bagoly ◽  
Barbara Baráth ◽  
Rita Orbán-Kálmándi ◽  
István Szegedi ◽  
Réka Bogáti ◽  
...  

Cross-linking of α2-plasmin inhibitor (α2-PI) to fibrin by activated factor XIII (FXIIIa) is essential for the inhibition of fibrinolysis. Little is known about the factors modifying α2-PI incorporation into the fibrin clot and whether the extent of incorporation has clinical consequences. Herein we calculated the extent of α2-PI incorporation by measuring α2-PI antigen levels from plasma and serum obtained after clotting the plasma by thrombin and Ca2+. The modifying effect of FXIII was studied by spiking of FXIII-A-deficient plasma with purified plasma FXIII. Fibrinogen, FXIII, α2-PI incorporation, in vitro clot-lysis, soluble fibroblast activation protein and α2-PI p.Arg6Trp polymorphism were measured from samples of 57 acute ischemic stroke patients obtained before thrombolysis and of 26 healthy controls. Increasing FXIII levels even at levels above the upper limit of normal increased α2-PI incorporation into the fibrin clot. α2-PI incorporation of controls and patients with good outcomes did not differ significantly (49.4 ± 4.6% vs. 47.4 ± 6.7%, p = 1.000), however it was significantly lower in patients suffering post-lysis intracranial hemorrhage (37.3 ± 14.0%, p = 0.004). In conclusion, increased FXIII levels resulted in elevated incorporation of α2-PI into fibrin clots. In stroke patients undergoing intravenous thrombolysis treatment, α2-PI incorporation shows an association with the outcome of therapy, particularly with thrombolysis-associated intracranial hemorrhage.


2020 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 656-661
Author(s):  
Qiao Han ◽  
Chunyuan Zhang ◽  
Shoujiang You ◽  
Danni Zheng ◽  
Chongke Zhong ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 81-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Al-Khaled ◽  
Christine Matthis ◽  
Andreas Binder ◽  
Jonas Mudter ◽  
Joern Schattschneider ◽  
...  

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.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document