Improving stroke care: Quality of care and health education in patients with a stroke or transient ischemic attack

This thesis focuses on the applicability of results of clinical trials of stroke and TIA patients in everyday practice and on measurement of quality of stroke care. A third aim is to further expand an underexposed aspect of stroke care, namely health education in stroke patients. Chapter 2.1 describes which proportion of patients in a stroke population fulfils the enrolment criteria of recently performed randomized controlled trials investigating antiplatelets in stroke patients. Chapter 2.2 focuses on the question whether the combination of low dose aspirin and dipyridamole is more effective than aspirin alone in reducing the risk of recurrent stroke and other major cardiovascular events in patients with a disabling stroke. Chapter 3.1 focuses on the measurement of quality of stroke care by process-of-care indicators. Chapter 4.1 covers the rationale, background and design of the computer-supported individualized health education for TIA and minor stroke patients (COSTA) study. Chapter 4.2 describes the knowledge of stroke and TIA patients about this disease and accessory risk factors and treatment. The main results of the COSTA study are presented in chapter 4.3. Chapter 4.4 provides a review of the literature on health education in stroke and TIA patients. Finally, chapter 5 and 6 provide a general discussion and summary of the results of the studies presented in this thesis

Patients Enrolled in Large Randomized Clinical Trials of Antiplatelet Treatment for Prevention After Transient Ischemic Attack or Ischemic Stroke Are Not Representative of Patients in Clinical Practice: the Netherlands Stroke Survey

Background and Purpose—Many randomized clinical trials have evaluated the benefit of long-term use of antiplatelet drugs in reducing the risk of new vascular events in patients with a recent transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke. Evidence from these trials forms the basis for national and international guidelines for the management of nearly all such patients in clinical practice. However, abundant and strict enrollment criteria may limit the validity and the applicability of results of randomized clinical trials to clinical practice. We estimated the eligibility for participation in landmark trials of antiplatelet drugs of an unselected group of patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack from a national stroke survey. Methods—Nine hundred seventy-two patients with transient ischemic at

Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) in stroke 2 (PAIS 2) : Protocol for a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial to assess the effect of high-dose paracetamol on functional outcome in patients with acute stroke and a body temperature of 36·5°C or above

Rationale: In the first hours after stroke onset, subfebrile temperatures and fever have been associated with poor functional outcome. In the first Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) in Stroke trial, a randomized clinical trial of 1400 patients with acute stroke, patients who were treated with high-dose paracetamol showed more improvement on the modified Rankin Scale at three-months than patients treated with placebo, but this difference was not statistically significant. In the 661 patients with a baseline body temperature of 37·0°C or above, treatment with paracetamol increased the odds of functional improvement (odds ratio 1·43; 95% confidence interval: 1·02-1·97). This relation was also found in the patients with a body temperature of 36·5°C or higher (odds ratio 1·31; 95% confidence interval 1·01-1·68). These findings need confirmation. Aim: The study aims to assess the effect of high-dose paracetamol in patients with acute stroke and a body temperature of 36·5°C or above on functional outcome. Design: The Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) In Stroke 2 trial is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. We use a power of 85% to detect a significant difference in the scores on the modified Rankin Scale of the paracetamol group compared with the placebo group at a level of significance of 0·05 and assume a treatment effect of 7%. Fifteen-hundred patients with acute ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage and a body temperature of 36·5°C or above will be included within 12h of symptom onset. Patients will be treated with paracetamol in a daily dose of six-grams or matching placebo for three consecutive days. The Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) In Stroke 2 trial has been registered as NTR2365 in The Netherlands Trial Register. Study outcomes: The primary outcome will be improvement on the modified Rankin Scale at three-months as analyzed by ordinal logistic regression. Discussion: If high-dose paracetamol will be proven effective, a simple, safe, and extremely cheap therapy will be available for many patients with acute stroke worldwide

PAIS 2 (Paracetamol [Acetaminophen] in Stroke 2): Results of a Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Background and Purpose—Subfebrile body temperature and fever in the first days after stroke are strongly associated with unfavorable outcome. A subgroup analysis of a previous trial suggested that early treatment with paracetamol may improve functional outcome in patients with acute stroke and a body temperature of ≥36.5°C. In the present trial, we aimed to confirm this finding. Methods—PAIS 2 (Paracetamol [Acetaminophen] in Stroke 2) was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. We aimed to include 1500 patients with acute ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage within 12 hours of symptom onset. Patients were treated with paracetamol in a daily dose of 6 g or matching placebo for 3 consecutive days. The primary outcome was functional outcome at 3 months, assessed with the modified Rankin Scale and analyzed with multivariable ordinal logistic regression. Because of slow recruitment and lack of funding, the study was stopped prematurely. Results—Between December 2011 and October 2015, we included 256 patients, of whom 136 (53%) were allocated to paracetamol. In this small sample, paracetamol had no effect on functional outcome (adjusted common odds ratio, 1.15; 95% confidence interval, 0.74–1.79). There was no difference in the number of serious adverse events (paracetamol n=35 [26%] versus placebo n=28 [24%]). Conclusions—Treatment with high-dose paracetamol seemed to be safe. The effect of high-dose paracetamol on functional outcome remains uncertain. Therefore, a large trial of early treatment with high-dose paracetamol is still needed