Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases : the official journal of National Stroke Association
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · Jan 2014
Early neurologic improvement based on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score predicts favorable outcome within 30 minutes after undergoing intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator therapy.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether early neurologic improvement (within 30 minutes), as measured using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, predicts favorable outcome at 90 days. ⋯ An improvement of at least 3 points in the NIHSS score at 15 minutes or of at least 5 points at 30 minutes appears to be a predictor of favorable outcome and helps to identify patients who will not respond to rt-PA therapy.
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · Jan 2014
Venous thromboembolism in the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke acute ischemic stroke population: incidence and patterns of prophylaxis.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolus (PE), represents a serious complication in hospitalized ischemic stroke patients. This study examines the incidence of VTE and the patterns of VTE prophylaxis in acute ischemic stroke patients deemed appropriate for VTE prophylaxis (nonambulatory) in the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke (GWTG-S) study. ⋯ Despite a high overall rate of VTE prophylaxis, VTE was found to occur in approximately 3% of GWTG-S patients. Reported rates of VTE prophylaxis differed among hospitals by region and hospital type, and among patients by age, race, and medical comorbidities.
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · Jan 2014
Acute kidney injury is associated with increased hospital mortality after stroke.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. Information about the incidence of AKI and its effect on stroke outcomes is limited. ⋯ AKI occurs frequently after stroke and is associated with increased hospital mortality. Additional studies are needed to establish if the association is causal and if measures to prevent AKI would result in decreased mortality.
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · Nov 2013
Treatment of acute stroke in patients on dabigatran: a survey of US stroke specialists.
There are no guidelines for thrombolysis in stroke patients taking dabigatran, or dabigatran reversal strategies in patients with ICH. We sought to assess how vascular neurologists plan to care for these patients. ⋯ There is a remarkable lack of consensus among vascular neurologists regarding the assessment and treatment of acute stroke patients on dabigatran.
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · Nov 2013
Outcomes of thrombolytic treatment for acute ischemic stroke in dialysis-dependent patients in the United States.
To determine the outcomes of dialysis-dependent renal failure patients who had ischemic stroke and were treated with intravenous (IV) thrombolytics in the United States. ⋯ The 2-fold higher odds of in-hospital mortality associated with administration of IV thrombolytics in dialysis-dependent patients who present with acute ischemic stroke warrant a careful assessment of risk-benefit ratio in this population.