Türkiye’de inme hastalarında atrial fibrilasyonun yönetimi: NöroTek çalışması gerçek hayat verileri

Objective: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common directly preventable cause of ischemic stroke. There is no dependable neurology-based data on the spectrum of stroke caused by AF in Turkiye. Within the scope of NoroTek-Turkiye (TR), hospital-based data on acute stroke patients with AF were collected to contribute to the creation of acute-stroke algorithms.Materials and Methods: On May 10, 2018 (World Stroke Awareness Day), 1,790 patients hospitalized at 87 neurology units in 30 health regions were prospectively evaluated. A total of 929 patients [859 acute ischemic stroke, 70 transient ischemic attack (TIA)] from this study were included in this analysis.Results: The rate of AF in patients hospitalized for ischemic stroke/TIA was 29.8%, of which 65% were known before stroke, 5% were paroxysmal, and 30% were diagnosed after hospital admission. The proportion of patients with AF who received "effective" treatment [international normalization ratio >= 2.0 warfarin or non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) at a guideline dose] was 25.3%, and, either no medication or only antiplatelet was used in 42.5% of the cases. The low dose rate was 50% in 42 patients who had a stroke while taking NOACs. Anticoagulant was prescribed to the patient at discharge at a rate of 94.6%; low molecular weight or unfractionated heparin was prescribed in 28.1%, warfarin in 32.5%, and NOACs in 31%. The dose was in the low category in 22% of the cases discharged with NOACs, and half of the cases, who received NOACs at admission, were discharged with the same drug.Conclusion: NoroTekTR revealed the high but expected frequency of AF in acute stroke in Turkiye, as well as the aspects that could be improved in the management of secondary prophylaxis. AF is found in approximately one-third of hospitalized acute stroke cases in Turkiye. Effective anticoagulant therapy was not used in three-quarters of acute stroke cases with known AF. In AF, heparin, warfarin, and NOACs are planned at a similar frequency (one-third) within the scope of stroke secondary prophylaxis, and the prescribed NOAC dose is subtherapeutic in a quarter of the cases. Non-medical and medical education appears necessary to prevent stroke caused by AF.Amaç: Atrial fibrilasyon (AF) iskemik inmenin doğrudan önlenebilir en sık nedendir. Ülkemizde AF nedenli inme spektrumuna dair nöroloji kaynaklı geniş ölçekte bir veri bulunmamaktadır. NöroTek-Türkiye (TR) kapsamında akut inme algoritmalarının oluşturulmasına katkı yapması beklenen AF tespit edilen akut inme hastalarına dair hastane verisi toplanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: 10 Mayıs 2018 Dünya İnme Farkındalık Günü’nde 30 sağlık bölgesine yer alan 87 nöroloji biriminde yatmakta olan 1.790 hasta prospektif olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Çalışmada yer alan toplam 929 hasta [859 akut iskemik inme, 70 geçici iskemik atak (GİA)] bu analize dahil edilmiştir. Bulgular: İskemik inme/GİA sebebiyle ile interne edilmiş hastalarda AF oranı %29,8 olup bunların %65’i bilinmekte olan, %5’i paroksismal ve %30’u yeni tanıdır. AF tanısı ile gelen hastalarda “etkin” tedavi [internasyonel normalizasyon oranı ≥2,0 varfarin veya rehber dozunda non-vitamin K antagonist oral antikoagülan (NOAK)] alanların oranı %25,3 olup, %42,5 olguda ya hiç ilaç kullanılmamakta ya da sadece antiplatelet kullanılmaktaydı. Düşük doz kullanım oranı 42 NOAK alırken inme geçirmiş olguda %50 idi. Taburcu edilirken antikoagülan %94,6 (düşük molekül ağırlıklı veya non-fraksiyone heparin %28,1; varfarin %32,5 ve NOAK %31) hastaya reçete edilmişti. NOAK ile taburcu edilen olguların %22’sinde doz düşük kategoride olup gelişte NOAK almakta olan olguların yarısı aynı ilaçla taburcu edilmiştir. Sonuç: NöroTekTR ülkemizde AF’nin akut inmedeki sıklığı yanı sıra sekonder proflaksi perspektifinde yönetiminin geliştirilebilecek yönlerini ortaya koydu. Türkiye’de hastanede yatan akut inme olgularının yaklaşık üçte birinde AF saptanmıştır. AF’si bilinen akut inme olgularının dörtte üçünde etkin antikoagülan tedavi kullanılmamaktaydı. AF’de inme sekonder proflaksisi kapsamında heparin, varfarin ve NOAK planlaması benzer sıklıkta (üçte bir) olup reçete edilen NOAK dozu dörtte bir olguda subterapötiktir. AF’ye bağlı inmenin önlenebilmesi non-medikal ve medikal eğitim gerekli görünmektedir

Efficiency of Intravenous Thrombolytic Therapy in Isolated Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusions: A Computed Tomography Angiography Study

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the outcomes of two groups of patients with acute ischemic stroke who were treated with intravenous recombinant tissueplasminogen activator (IV rt-PA); those with isolated middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion and those without any large vessel occlusion. Materials and Methods: Data of patients treated with IV rt-PA within 4.5 hours of symptom onset between March 2015 and January 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups; those with isolated MCA occlusion and those with no large vessel occlusion. Large vessel occlusion was detected with contrast-enhanced computed tomography angiography performed before IV rt-PA. Additionally, demographic and clinical data of the patients were analyzed. The clinical outcomes of the patients were determined using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 3 months after treatment. Results: A total of 69 patients were included in the study. Isolated MCA occlusion was observed in 28 (40.6%) patients. The rate of very good outcome (mRS 0-1) was 46.4%, whereas the rate of poor outcome (mRS 3-6) was 42.9% in the group with isolated MCA occlusion. Moreover, in the other group, the rate of very good outcome and poor outcome were 65.9% and 26.8%, respectively. Conclusion: In acute ischemic stroke with isolated MCA occlusion, due to the favorable outcomes of the patients, IV rt-PA continues to be the best treatment option in cases where endovascular treatment options cannot be performed and it should be applied by physicians in appropriate cases without dela

Clinical Features of Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis

Objective: To investigate the predisposing factors for cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), presenting patterns of the disease, imaging characteristics, types of treatment, and outcomes of patients. Materials and Methods: Retrospectively, between April 2011 and September 2016 at Eskisehir Osmangazi Stroke Center, the demographic data, symptoms and findings, neuroimaging and laboratory findings of patients with CVST were collected. Additionally, predisposing factors for the disease, treatment strategies, and the neurologic functions of patients at discharge were examined. Results: Thirty-one patients with CVST were included in the study, 25 of whom were female. The mean age of the patients was 43.7 years (standard deviation: 16.4; range, 22-78 years). The most common symptom was headache and the most common predisposing factors were pregnancy and puerperium. Also, transverse sinus was the most common thrombosed sinus. In the majority of patients (29/31, 93.6%), anticoagulation was applied and the Modified Rankin Scale score was 2 or below. Conclusion: In this study, we detailed the characteristics of patients with CVST at our stroke center and contrary to previous knowledge, we showed that the outcomes of patients were good. However, to achieve more accurate conclusions about treatment strategies and outcomes, we need prospective studies with larger cohort

Coexistence of external carotid artery embolus and internal carotid artery occlusion in acute ischemic stroke: An indicator of cardioembolic etiology?

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate whether the presence of an external carotid artery embolism accompanying internal carotid artery occlusion may contribute to identifying the etiology of internal carotid artery occlusion in the early period. Mate-rial and methods: The presence of external carotid artery embolism was evaluated in 117 patients who were adjudicated for internal carotid artery occlusion based on digital subtraction angiography images. Results: Embolus in the external carotid artery was detected in 8 (6.8%) of the 117 patients with internal carotid artery occlu-sion (7 (87.5%) patients were found to have tandem and 1 (12.5%) patient had carotid T occlusion). In all of these patients, the thrombus was of embolic origin. Evaluation of the etiology revealed cardioembolic etiology in 4 patients and dissec-tion in 1 patient, and the cause could not be determined in the remaining 3 patients. Patients with external carotid artery embolism accompanying an internal carotid artery occlusion had significantly higher The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores at admission and significantly lower recanalization success compared to those without external carotid artery embolism (p = 0.009, p = 0.01). In the com-parison of prognosis, poorer prognosis was observed in those with external carotid artery embolism, although without a statistically significant difference (p = 0.07). Conclusions: This study observed that the etiology was mostly embolic in patients with external carotid artery embolism accompanying an internal carotid artery occlusion, most of whom were found to have tandem embolic occlusion, and car-diac origin appeared to be the prominent etiology of stroke

Spontan Recanalization of Internal Carotis Artery Occlusion: A Case Report

There is not too much literature knowledge about spontaneous recanalization of the internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusions following and treatment. Here we presented a case who could have the opportunity of carotid artery stending treatment, where it is incidentally revealed that the occlusion of ICA is recanalized. The purpose of this case report is to emphasize the importance of ICA spontaneous recanalization

Specific Management of Ischemic Stroke: Guidelines Of Turkish Society Of Cerebrovascular Diseases – 2015

In this section, in parallel with the recent developments in acute stroke treatment, latest developments including rapidly developing intraarterial (ia) treatments and interventional treatments as well as iv thrombolytic treatment were updated and presented based on recent evidences

Anesthesia Strategies in Endovascular Treatment

Endovascular treatment modalities that directly retrieve the clot have become standard strategies in the care of acute ischemic stroke with major vessel occlusion in selected patient groups. The anesthetic strategy applied in the perioperative stage of endovascular treatment should be well determined in order to minimize loss of time and to maintain hemodynamic stability. Most retrospective studies in previous years have shown that conscious sedation may be more advantageous. However, in recent randomized controlled trials, it has not been shown that general anesthesia leads to worse neurological outcomes when compared to conscious sedation. In this review, the effect of anesthetic strategy selection on patient outcome will be presented in the context of recent publications

A stroke form fluctuating in acute stroke: Capsular warning syndrome

Capsular warning syndrome is an important clinical entity because of its typical story, presentation and increased risk of symptom recurrence recurrence. Since the pathophysiology of this syndrome has not be fully understood, there is no consensus on the treatment approach. Furthermore, clinical deterioration may occur despite antiplatelet, anticoagulant or trombolytic treatments. We aimed to present three cases with capsular warning syndrome to discuss their clinical presentations, radiological findings and to underline that prevention of its progression to a completed stroke may be difficult