Demographic information and risk factors of stroke patients younger than 65 years old

Objective: The main objective of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of risk factors for and demographics ofpatients younger than 65 years old with stroke. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study took into consideration all patients younger than 65 years old who were admitted to the emergency department from 2016 to 2018. Some significant criteria such as age, sex, type of stroke, stroke risk factors, and modified Ranking Scale (mRS) were extracted from patients’ medical records. Based on their age, these patients were divided into three groups: younger than 35 years old (Group A), between 35-50 years old (Group B), and older than 50 years old (Group C). Data analysis was carried out using IBM® SPSS® Statistics 20.0 software. Results: A total of 392 patients with stroke were included in this study. Groups A, B, and C included 31, 124, and 237 patients, respectively. Among them, 313 patients (79.84%) were admitted to the hospital in cold seasons, while 73 patients (18.6%) had no symptoms related to stroke at the time of admission. The most common adjustable risk factor among the patients was hypertension (HTN) with a frequency of 230 (58.7%). Of note, the frequency of HTN, diabetes, atrial fibrillation (AF), oral contraceptive pill (OCP) consumption, and coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients was significantly different among these three groups. Conclusion: According to the findings of the present study, the prevalence rate of stroke probably varies for male and female (gender) in the studied groups, which is significantly correlated with age. Among the adjustable risk factors for stroke, HTN, diabetes, AF, OCP consumption, and CAD are significantly correlated with the age

Why INR is outside the therapeutic range in patients with acuteischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation

Introduction: Warfarin is still the primary drug used to prevent vascular events in patientswith atrial fibrillation (AF), especially in low-income countries. Therapeutic failure and non-adherenceare common causes of recurrent embolic events. The aim of this study was toinvestigate possible reasons why INR was outside the therapeutic range in patients presentingwith acute ischemic stroke and AF. Methods: This prospective study was performed over a ten-month period and all patientsadmitted with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled. Patients with AF who did not have INRwithin the therapeutic range (INR = 2-3) at the time of admission were identified. During a face-to-face interview, the reasons for INR being outside the therapeutic range were assessed basedon a prepared checklist. Results: During the study period, 810 patients had an acute ischemic stroke, of which 177 hadAF heart rhythm (22%). The median age was 76 (IQR: 71-83), and 87 (52%) were male. Of these177 patients, 44 (25%) had a previous history of AF ("previous AF" group) and 133 (75%) werediagnosed with AF during the current hospital admission ("new AF" group). Among patients onwarfarin but with INR outside the therapeutic range (29 in all), 20 (69%) did not see a physicianregularly and/or did not take medication according to the physician’s instructions. Conclusion: The most common reason for INR being outside the therapeutic range was patientslack of awareness of their heart disease (unrecognized AF). Other reasons included irregularvisits to the physician and drug non-adherence

Decompressive surgery in cerebral venous sinus thrombosis due to vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia

Background and purpose: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis due to vaccine-induced im-mune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (CVST-VITT) is an adverse drug reaction occurring after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV- 2) vaccination. CVST-VITT patients often present with large intracerebral haemorrhages and a high proportion undergoes decompressive surgery. Clinical characteristics, therapeutic management and outcomes of CVST-VITT patients who underwent decompressive surgery are described and predictors of in- hospital mortality in these patients are explored.Methods: Data from an ongoing international registry of patients who developed CVST within 28 days of SARS-CoV- 2 vaccination, reported between 29 March 2021 and 10 May 2022, were used. Definite, probable and possible VITT cases, as defined by Pavord et al. (N Engl J Med 2021; 385: 1680–1689), were included. Results: Decompressive surgery was performed in 34/128 (27%) patients with CVST- VITT. In- hospital mortality was 22/34 (65%) in the surgical and 27/94 (29%) in the non- surgical group (p< 0.001). In all surgical cases, the cause of death was brain herniation. The highest mortality rates were found amongst patients with preoperative coma (17/18, 94% vs. 4/14, 29% in the non-comatose; p< 0.001) and bilaterally absent pupillary re-flexes (7/7, 100% vs. 6/9, 67% with unilaterally reactive pupil, and 4/11, 36% with bi-laterally reactive pupils; p= 0.023). Postoperative imaging revealed worsening of index haemorrhagic lesion in 19 (70%) patients and new haemorrhagic lesions in 16 (59%) pa-tients. At a median follow-up of 6 months, 8/10 of surgical CVST-VITT who survived ad-mission were functionally independent.Conclusions: Almost two-thirds of surgical CVST-VITT patients died during hospital ad-mission. Preoperative coma and bilateral absence of pupillary responses were associated with higher mortality rates. Survivors often achieved functional independence.Peer reviewe

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis due to vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia in middle-income countries

Background: Adenovirus-based COVID-19 vaccines are extensively used in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Remarkably, cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis due to vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (CVST-VITT) have rarely been reported from LMICs. Aims: We studied the frequency, manifestations, treatment, and outcomes of CVST-VITT in LMICs. Methods: We report data from an international registry on CVST after COVID-19 vaccination. VITT was classified according to the Pavord criteria. We compared CVST-VITT cases from LMICs to cases from high-income countries (HICs). Results: Until August 2022, 228 CVST cases were reported, of which 63 were from LMICs (all middle-income countries [MICs]: Brazil, China, India, Iran, Mexico, Pakistan, Turkey). Of these 63, 32 (51%) met the VITT criteria, compared to 103 of 165 (62%) from HICs. Only 5 of the 32 (16%) CVST-VITT cases from MICs had definite VITT, mostly because anti-platelet factor 4 antibodies were often not tested. The median age was 26 (interquartile range [IQR] 20–37) versus 47 (IQR 32–58) years, and the proportion of women was 25 of 32 (78%) versus 77 of 103 (75%) in MICs versus HICs, respectively. Patients from MICs were diagnosed later than patients from HICs (1/32 [3%] vs. 65/103 [63%] diagnosed before May 2021). Clinical manifestations, including intracranial hemorrhage, were largely similar as was intravenous immunoglobulin use. In-hospital mortality was lower in MICs (7/31 [23%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 11–40]) than in HICs (44/102 [43%, 95% CI 34–53], p = 0.039). Conclusions: The number of CVST-VITT cases reported from LMICs was small despite the widespread use of adenoviral vaccines. Clinical manifestations and treatment of CVST-VITT cases were largely similar in MICs and HICs, while mortality was lower in patients from MICs.</p

Sex differences in cerebral venous sinus thrombosis after adenoviral vaccination against COVID-19

Introduction: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis associated with vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (CVST-VITT) is a severe disease with high mortality. There are few data on sex differences in CVST-VITT. The aim of our study was to investigate the differences in presentation, treatment, clinical course, complications, and outcome of CVST-VITT between women and men. Patients and methods: We used data from an ongoing international registry on CVST-VITT. VITT was diagnosed according to the Pavord criteria. We compared the characteristics of CVST-VITT in women and men. Results: Of 133 patients with possible, probable, or definite CVST-VITT, 102 (77%) were women. Women were slightly younger [median age 42 (IQR 28–54) vs 45 (28–56)], presented more often with coma (26% vs 10%) and had a lower platelet count at presentation [median (IQR) 50x109/L (28–79) vs 68 (30–125)] than men. The nadir platelet count was lower in women [median (IQR) 34 (19–62) vs 53 (20–92)]. More women received endovascular treatment than men (15% vs 6%). Rates of treatment with intravenous immunoglobulins were similar (63% vs 66%), as were new venous thromboembolic events (14% vs 14%) and major bleeding complications (30% vs 20%). Rates of good functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale 0-2, 42% vs 45%) and in-hospital death (39% vs 41%) did not differ. Discussion and conclusions: Three quarters of CVST-VITT patients in this study were women. Women were more severely affected at presentation, but clinical course and outcome did not differ between women and men. VITT-specific treatments were overall similar, but more women received endovascular treatment.</p

Electrical interferential current stimulation versus electrical acupuncture in management of hemiplegic shoulder pain and disability following ischemic stroke-a randomized clinical trial

Abstract Background Hemiplegic Shoulder Pain (HSP) is among common complications occurring after stroke leading to disability. This study was conducted to compare the effects of electrical Interferential Current stimulation (IFC) and Electrical Acupuncture (EAC) on pain intensity, range of motion, and functional ability in patients with HSP and also comparing the two modalities regarding improvement of above indices. Methods In this randomized clinical trial, 46 patients with HSP caused by ischemic stroke were recruited and assigned into 2 groups. Conventional exercise trainings were applied for both groups. Group A received additional IFC with medium frequency of 4000 HZ, and Group B received additional EAC two times a week for a total of 10 sessions. Pain severity, daily function, and shoulder Range of Motion (ROM) were evaluated using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), and goniometry, respectively before and 5 weeks after the treatment. Results Both groups showed relative improvement in pain severity, SPADI score, and its subscales, and also active and passive shoulder ROM after the treatment. However, IFC group compared to EAC group had higher mean changes of active ROM in abduction (28.00 ± 3.81 vs. 12.25 ± 2.39) and functional subscale of SPADI (11.45 ± 1.88 vs. 5.80 ± 1.66) after the treatment. On the contrary, EAC group showed higher percentage of VAS changes (46.14 ± 6.88 vs. 34.28 ± 5.52), indicating better pain improvement compared to IFC group. Other parameters did not show significant difference between two groups. Conclusion Both IFC and EAC caused short term improvement in functional state, increased motion, and decreased pain in patients with HSP. Although pain control was more evident in acupuncture group, IFC resulted in better effects on function and active ROM of abduction, and seems to have higher efficacy. Trial registration This clinical trial was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials at 2016-07-16 with a registry number of IRCT201602153217N10

Use National Early Warning Score In The Prognosis Of Stroke Patients In The Emergency Department

Introduction: Few scoring systems are used in the emergency department to identify critically ill patients and anticipate patients' deterioration such as National Early Warning Score (NEWS). This study aimed to evaluate NEWS in patients with acute stroke and its relationship with treatment and type of stroke and patient outcome.Methods: In this prospective cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study, all patients over 18 years of age with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke, who presented through the emergency department, were involved. The variables of interest were collected; the NEWs score was calculated for each patient.Results: In assessing NEWS and its relationship with outcome based on the ROC curve, the area under the curve was equal to 0.417. Considering the high intensity of NEWS above 7, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, PLR, and NLR were 16.67%, 98.77%, 83.33%, 74.45%, 13.5, 0.84 respectively. In assessing NEWS and its relationship with stroke type on the ROC curve, the (AUC) was equal to 0.526. Considering the high intensity of NEWS above 7, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, PLR, and NLR were 8.33%, 94.95%, 16.67%, 88.53%, 1.65, and 0.97 respectively.Conclusion: In terms of outcome, NEWS seems to have acceptable specificity and positive and negative predictive values. Regarding the type of stroke, NEWS has an acceptable specificity but it only has a negative predictive value about the non-hemorrhagic type of stroke. This means that if the NEWS number is LOW, the probability is that the type of stroke is ischemic and the patient outcome is good.&nbsp

Efficacy and safety of decompressive craniectomy in acute ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis

Abstract Introduction The optimal timing for decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) remains unclear. This study in patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with IVT aimed to assess the safety of DHC and patient outcome. Methods Data was extracted from the Tabriz stroke registry from June 2011 up to September 2020. In all, 881 patients were treated with IVT. Among these, 23 patients underwent DH. Six patients were excluded due to symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (parenchymal hematoma type 2 based on SITS-MOST definition) after IVT, but other types of bleeding after venous thrombolysis, including HI1, HI2, and PH1 were not excluded; so the remaining 17 patients were enrolled in the study. Functional Outcome was defined as the proportion of patients who achieved mRS score of 2–3 (moderate disability), 4–5 (severe disability), or 6 (mortality) at 90 days after stroke. mRSwas assess by trained neurologist at the hospital clinic with direct interview Safety outcome was assessed by comparison of two scans just prior to and after craniectomy. Any new hemorrhage or worsening of previous hemorrhage was reported. Parenchymal hematoma type 2, based on ECASS II definition, was considered as major surgical complication. This study was approved by the local ethics committee of the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (Ethics Code: IR.TBZMED.REC.1398.420). Results At the three-month mRS follow up, six patients (35%) had moderate and five (29%) had severe disability. The outcome of death was observed in six patients (35%).Nine of 15 patients (60%) underwent surgery in the first 48 hours after onset of symptoms. No patient over 60 years of age survived to the three-month follow up; 67% of those who were under60 years and underwent DH in the first 48 hours had favorable outcome. Hemorrhagic complication was seen in 64% of patients but none was major. Conclusion Results of this study showed that the rate of major bleeding and outcome of acute ischemic stroke patients who underwent DHC after IVT is comparable with the reported data in the literature and intentionally waiting for the fibrinolytic effects of IVT to disappear may not outweigh the benefits of DHC. Although the findings of the study should be interpreted with caution and larger studies are needed to confirm the results

Outcome predictors in anterior and posterior ischemic strokes: a study based on the Iranian SITS registry

Abstract Ischemic stroke is the major form of stroke with two separate vascular territories. Many risk factors are related to stroke outcomes in both territories. The present descriptive research was carried out on the basis of data obtained from the Safe Implementation of Treatments in Stroke (SITS) registry on Iranian intravenous thrombolysis ischemic stroke cases. Vascular territory involved in each case and three-month excellent outcome, functional independence, mortality rate, and brain hemorrhage occurrence were determined. Univariable and multivariable logistics regression analyses were utilized in order to investigate association of ischemic stroke outcomes with the vascular territory involved and other related factors. Among 1566 patients 95.4% was anterior circulation stroke patients and 4.6% was posterior circulation stroke cases. There is no significant association between vascular territory with mortality (OR of PCS vs ACS: 0.74, 95% CI 0.37–1.46), excellent functional outcome (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.44–1.19), functional outcome (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.52–1.42) and local hemorrhage (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.30–3.21). Among major risk factors, age, diabetes, NIHSS score and admission duration, increased significantly odds of three-month mortality, excellent outcome, and functional independence in the multivariate analysis. The highest of odds was in NIHSS score with a dose–response association. The vascular territory was not an outcome predictor in ischemic strokes. The most important predictor was baseline NIHSS