Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases : the official journal of National Stroke Association
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · May 2014
Imaging negative stroke: diagnoses and outcomes in intravenous tissue plasminogen activator-treated patients.
Intravenous (IV) Alteplase (tissue plasminogen activator [t-PA]) improves outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Of those with full recovery, some may not have had ischemia. We analyzed the frequency and post-treatment outcomes of stroke code patients with no imaging evidence of stroke to establish the incidence of neuroimaging negative cerebral ischemia (NNCI) and stroke mimics treated with t-PA. In addition, we compared these patients with the group of stroke patients with imaging evidence of acute stroke to determine whether there was a difference in adverse events and functional outcomes. ⋯ Because most INS patients were found to have NNCI, which may represent either transient ischemic attack or aborted stroke, and there were no intracerebral hemorrhages in the INS group, our data support the safety of administering IV t-PA to all patients in whom acute ischemic stroke is clinically suspected. We have demonstrated that NNCI patients and stroke mimics are common, and future larger scale prospective studies are required to delineate the true frequencies of each and to evaluate differences in outcomes.
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · May 2014
Comparative StudySocioeconomic disparities in the utilization of mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke.
Previous studies have demonstrated that socioeconomic disparities in access to treatment of cerebrovascular diseases exist. We studied the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) to determine if disparities exist in utilization of mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke. ⋯ Significant socioeconomic disparities exist in the utilization of mechanical thrombectomy in the United States.
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · May 2014
Comparative StudyNoninvasive evaluation of collateral blood flow through circle of Willis in cervical carotid stenosis using selective magnetic resonance angiography.
Preoperative assessment of intracranial collateral circulation is helpful in predicting cerebral ischemia during surgical procedures for cervical internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis. However, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and other less-invasive techniques cannot evaluate collateral blood flow because these techniques are nonselective. Hence, by using a newly developed selective MRA technique, we attempted to visualize collaterals via the circle of Willis in patients with ICA stenosis. ⋯ Selective MRA techniques can readily suppress signals from the distal blood flow of the target artery and visualize the presence of collateral flows through the circle of Willis in patients with cervical ICA stenosis.
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · May 2014
Comparative StudyDoes modern ischemic stroke therapy in a large community-based dedicated stroke center improve clinical outcomes? A two-year retrospective study.
To compare modern endovascular therapies in the acute ischemic stroke patients leading to more comprehensive acute stroke algorithm. ⋯ Modern endovascular therapies for acute ischemic stroke do improve clinical outcomes when implemented in the setting of a dedicated comprehensive stroke team.
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · May 2014
Comparative StudyStroke in Switzerland: social determinants of treatment access and cost of illness.
Few useful empirical data on stroke are available for Switzerland. The aim of this study was to collect data on the use of medical resources and associated costs among stroke patients. Special attention was paid to possible correlations between epidemiologic indicators, sociodemographic variables, resource use, and costs. ⋯ This survey confirms the medical and economic importance of stroke and supplements the existing European data. Further research is needed in regard to incidence differences in stroke across Switzerland. Patients without supplementary insurance or with low household income were less likely to receive inpatient treatment.