Stroke; a journal of cerebral circulation
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Background and Purpose- Little is known about the real-life factors that clinicians use in selection of patients that would receive endovascular treatment (EVT) in the real world. We sought to determine patient, practitioner, and health system factors associated with therapeutic decisions around endovascular treatment. Methods- We conducted a multinational cross-sectional web-based study comprising of 607 clinicians and interventionalists from 38 countries who are directly involved in acute stroke care. ⋯ Comparison between current and ideal practice settings revealed a small practice gap (941 of 6070 responses, 15.5%). Conclusions- In this large multinational survey, stroke severity, guideline-based level of evidence, baseline brain imaging, patients' age and physicians' experience were the most relevant factors for EVT decision-making. The high agreement between responses and Class I guideline recommendations and high EVT use even when guidelines were not available reflect the real-world acceptance of EVT as standard of care in patients with disabling acute ischemic stroke.
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Background and Purpose- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients with atrial fibrillation are at increased risk of stroke, and anticoagulation is strongly recommended. However, limited data are available regarding the safety and effectiveness of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) for primary prevention of stroke. Methods- Using the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database, we identified 2397 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and nonvalvular atrial fibrillation on oral anticoagulation from 2013 to 2016 without history of ischemic stroke, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), or gastrointestinal bleeding (992 on warfarin and 1405 on NOACs). ⋯ The same trend was observed regardless of the NOAC dose and across various high-risk subgroups. In analysis of individual NOACs, all NOACs were associated with lower risks of ischemic stroke and composite outcome. Conclusions- NOACs showed superior effectiveness and safety versus warfarin in the primary prevention of stroke versus warfarin in real-world Asian hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with atrial fibrillation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Outcome in Direct Versus Transfer Patients in the DAWN Controlled Trial.
Background and Purpose- The impact of transfer status on clinical outcomes in the DAWN (DWI or CTP Assessment With Clinical Mismatch in the Triage of Wake-Up and Late Presenting Strokes Undergoing Neurointervention With Trevo) population is unknown. We analyzed workflow and clinical outcome differences between direct versus transfer patients in the DAWN population. Methods- The following time metrics were analyzed for each group: (1) last known well to hospital arrival, (2) hospital arrival to eligibility imaging, (3) hospital arrival to arterial puncture, (4) qualifying imaging to arterial puncture, (5) last known well to arterial puncture, (6) last known well to reperfusion. ⋯ These results may inform prehospital and primary stroke centers triage protocols in patients presenting in the late time window. Clinical Trial Registration- URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02142283.
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Meta Analysis
Evidence that Tenecteplase Is Noninferior to Alteplase for Acute Ischemic Stroke: Meta-Analysis of 5 Randomized Trials.
Background and Purpose- TNK (tenecteplase), a newer fibrinolytic agent, has practical delivery advantages over ALT (alteplase) that would make it a useful agent if noninferior in acute ischemic stroke treatment outcome. Accordingly, the most recent US American Heart Association/American Stroke Association acute ischemic stroke guideline recognized TNK as an alternative to ALT, but only based on informal consideration, rather than formal meta-analysis, of completed randomized control trials. Methods- Systematic literature search and formal meta-analysis were conducted per PRISMA guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-Analyses), adapted to noninferiority analysis. ⋯ Similar results were seen for the additional efficacy end points: functional independence (modified Rankin Scale score, 0-2): crude TNK 71.9% versus ALT 70.5%, risk difference 2% (95% CI, -3% to 6%); and modified Rankin Scale shift analysis, common odds ratio 1.21 (95% CI, 0.93-1.57). For safety end points, lower event rates reduced power, but point estimates were also consistent with noninferiority Conclusions- Accumulated clinical trial data provides strong evidence that TNK is noninferior to ALT in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. These findings provide formal support for the recent guideline recommendation to consider TNK an alternative to ALT.
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Background and Purpose- Traditional risk factors for ischemic stroke are body stressors that are related to autonomic autonomic system (ANS) dysfunction. The value of ABCD2 score (age, blood pressure, clinical features, duration of symptoms, diabetes) to predict ischemic stroke after transient ischemic attack is compromised by the inclusion of a limited number of stressors. We aimed to assess whether markers of ANS function and stress could predict the occurrence of secondary ischemic events after transient ischemic attack or minor stroke. ⋯ Compared with ABCD2 score, 2 HRV-based stress models showed higher predictive ability for ischemic events (AUC=0.82 versus 0.63, 0.76 versus 0.63; P<0.05) and ischemic stroke (AUC=0.87 versus 0.64, 0.82 versus 0.64; P<0.05). Conclusions- Assessing the effects of stress on the ANS may be an innovative way to stratify the risk of ischemic events after transient ischemic attack or minor stroke. New risk stratification by assessing the dynamic features of ANS dysfunction and stress may help identify high-risk sub-populations that may benefit from added management.