Abstract 1122‐000209: Cannabis and Cerebrovascular Outcomes: A National Registry Analysis

Introduction: Recreational and medical cannabis use in the United States has been increasing in recent years in light of state and federal efforts to decriminalize and legalize its use. Its legal status has long precluded extensive research into its adverse effects, especially as it pertains to the realm of vascular and cerebrovascular outcomes. To date, minimal research has been completed on the sequelae of cannabis in inpatient admissions for stroke. Methods: A query of the 2012–2015 Nationwide Inpatient Sample searched for patients admitted with stroke ICD‐9 diagnoses. These patients were then grouped by the presence of concurrent diagnosis of cannabis use disorder, and compared with respect to various peri‐ and postoperative complications, all‐cause mortality, discharge disposition, length of stay, and hospitalization costs. Propensity score matching was utilized to control for potential baseline confounders. Results: A total of 414,340 patients met inclusion/exclusion criteria, 6794 (1.64%) of whom had cannabis use disorder. After controlling for baseline characteristics, these patients had higher rates of inpatient mortality (odds ratio [OR] 1.43; p = 0.01263), and non‐routine discharge, as well as increased lengths of stay (6.5 vs 5.7 days, p<0.001) and no significant difference in hospitalization charges ($67507 vs.$ 63328 10, p = 0.3918). Conclusions: Based on a national trends analysis, chronic cannabis use appears to be associated with increased perioperative morbidity and mortality among patients admitted for stroke diagnoses. Physicians should ensure affected patients be adequately informed of associated risks. Further research should include matching of risk factors not captured in databases

Abstract 232: Endovascular Thrombectomy for Distal Vessel Occlusions in Early vs Extended Time Window

Introduction There has been a growing body of literature in recent years suggesting the safety and efficacy of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) from distal vessel occlusion (DVO). Limited data is available regarding the risks and benefits of EVT in this patient population, especially when comparing the early window (6 hours from LKW) to the extended window (6‐24 hours from LKW). We aim to study this further. Methods We queried our stroke registry, a prospectively maintained database of AIS patients who presented from December 2014 to July 2023, and isolated patients with DVO who underwent EVT. DVO was defined as M2, M3, M4 occlusion, ACA occlusion, and/or PCA occlusion. We then further subdivided this into two groups, patients within the early window, and patients within the extended window. We compared characteristics between these groups using univariate analysis. We additionally performed a multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusted for Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, age, sex, and use of intravenous (IV) thrombolysis to investigate whether or not extended window thrombectomy was associated with worse outcome. Our primary outcomes were modified Rankin Score (mRS) at discharge and at 90 days. Results Total of 290 patients had DVO and underwent EVT. Of these, 214 had all relevant data. 147 (68.7%) underwent EVT in the early window and 67 (31.3%) received EVT in the extended window. Mean age was 72.3 (±14.4). There were more women in the extended window 51.5% vs 44.8% (χ² = 20.57, p‐value < 0.001). No significant difference was observed in the average NIHSS between early (13.7) and extended (13.9) windows (t=‐0.44, p=0.66). Similarly, the median ASPECTS score was comparable between early (9.3) and extended (9.0) windows (t=1.41, p=0.16). As expected, there was a striking difference seen in patients receiving IV thrombolysis between early (54.5%) and extended (4.5%) windows (χ²=48.48, p<0.001). Post‐operative hematoma also was not different between the early (23.8%) and extended (14.9%) windows (χ² = 0.69, p‐value = 0.40). Symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) was only seen in 3.4% of patient in the early window and 2.9% of patients in extended window. No significant difference was found in the mRS at discharge (early: 3.1, extended: 3.4, t=‐0.90, p=0.37) or at 90 days (early: 3.1, extended: 3.5, t=‐1.08, p=0.29). Additionally, in our multivariable logistic regression model, receiving EVT in the extended window didn't significantly affect the discharge mRS (β=0.10, p=0.27) or the 90 day mRS (β=‐0.15, p=0.38). In this model, increasing age, lower ASPECTS score, and higher admission NIHSS predicted a higher discharge mRS, while IV thrombolysis was linked to a lower discharge mRS. Higher admission NIHSS was associated with a higher mRS at both discharge and 90 days. Conclusion In our study, outcome of EVT in the extended time window in patients with DVO was comparable to EVT outcome in early window, with no increased hemorrhagic complications. More studies are required to further understand the risks and benefits of EVT in patients with DVO strok

Abstract 058: General anesthesia versus conscious sedation during endovascular thrombectomy for distal vessel occlusions

Introduction Choice of anesthesia for endovascular thrombectomy in large vessel occlusion of the anterior circulation has been well studied, although practice patterns may still be variable. Anesthesia choice for distal vessel occlusions (DVO) presents unique challenges, however. General anesthesia (GA) may offer advantages over conscious sedation (CS) due to reduced patient movement facilitating catheter navigation, but concerns persist about potential delays and hypotension impacting collateral circulation. In our study, we aim to explore this question further. Methods In our prospectively maintained stroke registry from December 2014 to July 2023, we identified patients with DMVO defined as M2, M3, M4 occlusion, ACA occlusion, and PCA occlusion, who underwent MT for AIS. We compared patients who received CS to those who GA. Our primary outcome measures were length of procedure defined as time from entering angiography suite until final recanalization, access time to recanalization, CS to GA conversion rate, number of passes to reach TICI2b or better and first pass effect. Our secondary outcomes were length of stay, and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 5 days, 30 days, and 90 days. Results Total of 290 patients with DVO were identified, the median age was 73 (IQR 19). Of these, 86 patients (29.7%) underwent GA, and 200 (69.0%) received CS. CS to GA conversion was required in 36 patients (12.4%). Females accounted for 47.5% of the CS group and 38.4% of the GA group. No significant differences were found between the two groups in the racial and gender composition (p>0.1). The mean admission NIHSS was significantly higher in the GA group (16.86) compared to the CS group (12.44) as was the rate of IV thrombolysis in the CS (36.2%) group compared to GA (31.4%) group (p<0.01). The type of anesthesia used was not influenced by the laterality of the stroke in the middle cerebral artery territory (left vs right) (χ²=0.39, p=0.53). After adjusting for age, sex, IV thrombolysis, and admission NIHSS, CS usage did not result in an increase in procedural time (β=1.3, p=0.83). Furthermore, CS had no significant effect on the total number of passes (β=‐0.15, p=0.53), nor did it influence the likelihood of achieving first‐pass recanalization (β=0.28, p=0.48). No associations were found between CS use and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 5 days (β=0.17, p=0.65), 30 days (β=0.22, p=0.75), or 90 days (β=0.15, p=0.67). Likewise, the length of stay in the hospital (β=1.71, p=0.77) was not significantly affected by the use of CS. Conclusion In our analysis of DMVO, the use of CS during thrombectomy appeared to be safe and feasible and comparable to GA with regards to procedural length, number of passes, and rate of first pass recanalization. Similarly, the type of anesthesia did not have an impact on clinical outcome. Further studies are needed to build on these findings and inform optimal management strategies

Development and Validation of a Noninvasive Model for the Detection of High-Risk Varices in Patients with Unresectable HCC

Non-invasive variceal risk stratification systems have not been validated in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which presents logistical barriers for patients in the setting of systemic HCC therapy. We aimed to develop and validate a non-invasive algorithm for the prediction of varices in patients with unresectable HCC. We performed a retrospective cohort study in 21 centers in the US including adult patients with unresectable HCC and Child Pugh A5-B7 cirrhosis diagnosed between 2007 and2019. We included patients who completed an esophagogastroduodonoscopy (EGD) within 12 months of index imaging but prior to HCC treatment. We divided the cohort into a 70:30 training set and validation set, with the goal of maximizing negative predictive value (NPV) to avoid EGD in low-risk patients. We included 707 patients (median age 64.6 years, 80.6% male and 74.0% White). Median time from HCC diagnosis to EGD was 47 (IQR: 114) days, with 25.0% of patients having high-risk varices. A model using clinical variables alone achieved a NPV of 86.3% in the validation cohort, while a model integrating clinical and imaging variables had an NPV 97.4% in validation. The clinical and imaging model would avoid EGDs in over half of low-risk patients while misclassifying 7.7% of high-risk patients. A model incorporating clinical and imaging data can accurately predict the absence of high-risk varices in patients with HCC and avoid EGD in many low-risk patients prior to the initiation of systemic therapy, thus expediting their care and avoiding treatment delays