Faculty Opinions recommendation of Effect of pharmaceutical treatment on vasospasm, delayed cerebral ischemia, and clinical outcome in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Author(s):  
Peter Andrews
2011 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 1443-1451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nima Etminan ◽  
Mervyn DI Vergouwen ◽  
Don Ilodigwe ◽  
R Loch Macdonald

As it is often assumed that delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is caused by vasospasm, clinical trials often focus on prevention of vasospasm with the aim to improve clinical outcome. However, the role of vasospasm in the pathogenesis of DCI and clinical outcome is possibly smaller than previously assumed. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on all randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials that studied the effect of pharmaceutical preventive strategies on vasospasm, DCI, and clinical outcome in SAH patients to further investigate the relationship between vasospasm and clinical outcome. Effect sizes were expressed in pooled risk ratio (RR) estimates with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). A total of 14 studies randomizing 4,235 patients were included. Despite a reduction of vasospasm (RR 0.80 (95% CI 0.70 to 0.92)), no statistically significant effect on poor outcome was observed (RR 0.93 (95% CI 0.85 to 1.03)). The variety of DCI definitions did not justify pooling the DCI data. We conclude that pharmaceutical treatments have significantly decreased the incidence of vasospasm, but not of poor clinical outcome. This dissociation between vasospasm and clinical outcome could result from methodological problems, sample size, insensitivity of clinical outcome measures, or from mechanisms other than vasospasm that also contribute to poor outcome.


2016 ◽  
Vol 124 (5) ◽  
pp. 1257-1264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gyanendra Kumar ◽  
Reza Bavarsad Shahripour ◽  
Mark R. Harrigan

OBJECT The impact of transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography evidence of vasospasm on patient-centered clinical outcomes following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is unknown. Vasospasm is known to lead to delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) and poor outcomes. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the predictive value of vasospasm on DCI, as diagnosed on TCD. METHODS MEDLINE, Scopus, the Cochrane trial register, and clinicaltrials.gov were searched through September 2014 using key words and the terms “subarachnoid hemorrhage,” “aneurysm,” “aneurysmal,” “cerebral vasospasm,” “vasospasm,” “transcranial Doppler,” and “TCD.” Sensitivities, specificities, and positive and negative predictive values were pooled by a DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model. RESULTS Seventeen studies (n = 2870 patients) met inclusion criteria. The amount of variance attributable to heterogeneity was significant (I2 > 50%) for all syntheses. No studies reported the impact of TCD evidence of vasospasm on functional outcome or mortality. TCD evidence of vasospasm was found to be highly predictive of DCI. Pooled estimates for TCD diagnosis of vasospasm (for DCI) were sensitivity 90% (95% confidence interval [CI] 77%–96%), specificity 71% (95% CI 51%–84%), positive predictive value 57% (95% CI 38%–71%), and negative predictive value 92% (95% CI 83%–96%). CONCLUSIONS TCD evidence of vasospasm is predictive of DCI with high accuracy. Although high sensitivity and negative predictive value make TCD an ideal monitoring device, it is not a mandated standard of care in aSAH due to the paucity of evidence on clinically relevant outcomes, despite recommendation by national guidelines. High-quality randomized trials evaluating the impact of TCD monitoring on patient-centered and physician-relevant outcomes are needed.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
M. Harrison Snyder ◽  
Natasha Ironside ◽  
Jeyan S. Kumar ◽  
Kevin T. Doan ◽  
Ryan T. Kellogg ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) is a potentially preventable cause of morbidity and mortality after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). The authors performed a meta-analysis to assess the effect of antiplatelet therapy (APT) on DCI in patients with aSAH. METHODS A systematic review of the PubMed and MEDLINE databases was performed. Study inclusion criteria were 1) ≥ 5 aSAH patients; 2) direct comparison between aSAH management with APT and without APT; and 3) reporting of DCI, angiographic, or symptomatic vasospasm rates for patients treated with versus without APT. The primary efficacy outcome was DCI. The outcomes of the APT versus no-APT cohorts were compared. Bias was assessed using the Downs and Black checklist. RESULTS The overall cohort comprised 2039 patients from 15 studies. DCI occurred less commonly in the APT compared with the no-APT cohort (pooled = 15.9% vs 28.6%; OR 0.47, p < 0.01). Angiographic (pooled = 51.6% vs 68.7%; OR 0.46, p < 0.01) and symptomatic (pooled = 23.6% vs 37.7%; OR 0.51, p = 0.01) vasospasm rates were lower in the APT cohort. In-hospital mortality (pooled = 1.7% vs 4.1%; OR 0.53, p = 0.01) and functional dependence (pooled = 21.0% vs 35.7%; OR 0.53, p < 0.01) rates were also lower in the APT cohort. Bleeding event rates were comparable between the two cohorts. Subgroup analysis of cilostazol monotherapy compared with no APT demonstrated a lower DCI rate in the cilostazol cohort (pooled = 10.6% vs 28.1%; OR 0.31, p < 0.01). Subgroup analysis of surgically treated aneurysms demonstrated a lower DCI rate for the APT cohort (pooled = 18.4% vs 33.9%; OR 0.43, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS APT is associated with improved outcomes in aSAH without an increased risk of bleeding events, particularly in patients who underwent surgical aneurysm repair and those treated with cilostazol. Although study heterogeneity is the most significant limitation of the analysis, the findings suggest that APT is worth exploring in patients with aSAH, particularly in a randomized controlled trial setting.


Stroke ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregoire Boulouis ◽  
Marc-Antoine Labeyrie ◽  
Jean Raymond ◽  
Christine Rodriguez-Regent ◽  
Anne-Claire Lukaszewicz ◽  
...  

Introduction: To report clinical outcome of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) patients exposed to cerebral vasospasm (CVS) targeted treatments in a systematic review and meta-analysis and compare the efficacy of endovascular and non-endovascular treatments in severe / refractory vasospasm patients. Methods: The literature was searched using PubMed, EMBASE, and The Cochrane Library database. Eligibility criteria were (1) Rated clinical outcome; (2) at least 10 patients; (3) aSAH; (4) study published in English or French (January 2006 - October 2014); and (5) methodological quality score > 10, according to STROBE criteria. Endpoint included unfavorable outcome rate, defined as mRS 3-6, GOS 1-3 or GOSE 1-4 at latest follow-up. Analyses included stratification per route of administration (oral, i.v., intra-arterial or cisternoventricular) and per study inclusion criteria (severe, CVS, refractory CVS or high risk for CVS). Univariate and multivariate subgroup analyses were performed to identify interventions associated with a better outcome. Results: Sixty-two studies, including 26 randomized controlled trials, were included (8976 patients). Overall 2490 patients had unfavorable outcome including death (random-effect weighted average: 33.7%, 99%CI, 28.1-39.7%; Q-value: 806.0, I 2 =92.7%). Clinical outcome was significantly better in severe or refractory patients for whom, on top of best medical treatment, endovascular intervention was performed (RR=0.76, IC95% [0.66-0.89], p <0.00001) whereas other route of administration didn’t show significant differences. RR of unfavorable outcome was significantly lower, vs control groups, in patients treated with Cilostazol (RR=0.46 (IC99% [0.25-0.85], P = 0.001, Q value 1.5, I 2 = 0). Conclusion: In case of CVS following aSAH, endovascular treatment in severe / refractory vasospasm patients. including intra-arterial injection of pharmacological agents or balloon angioplasty, improves outcome as compared to other route of administration.


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