Prehospital neurological deterioration in stroke

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Patients with stroke can experience neurological deterioration in the prehospital setting. We evaluated patients with stroke to determine factors associated with prehospital neurological deterioration (PND). METHODS: Among the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region (population ~1.3 million), we screened all 15 local hospitals' admissions from 2010 for acute stroke and included patients aged ≥20. The GCS was compared between emergency medical services (EMS) arrival and hospital arrival, with decrease ≥2 points considered PND. Data obtained retrospectively included demographics, medical history and medication use, stroke subtype (eg, ischaemic stroke (IS), intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH)) and IS subtype (eg, small vessel, large vessel, cardioembolic), seizure at onset, time intervals between symptom onset, EMS arrival and hospital arrival, EMS level of training, and blood pressure and serum glucose on EMS arrival. RESULTS: Of 2708 total patients who had a stroke, 1092 patients (median (IQR) age 74 (61-83) years; 56% women; 21% black) were analysed. PND occurred in 129 cases (12%), including 9% of IS, 24% of ICH and 16% of SAH. In multivariable analysis, black race, atrial fibrillation, haemorrhagic subtype and ALS level of transport were associated with PND. CONCLUSION: Haemorrhage and atrial fibrillation is associated with PND in stroke, and further investigation is needed to establish whether PND can be predicted. Further studies are also needed to assess whether preferential transport of patients with deterioration to hospitals equipped with higher levels of care is beneficial, identify why race is associated with deterioration and to test therapies targeting PND

Thrombectomy Outcomes With General vs Nongeneral Anesthesia: A Pooled Patient-Level Analysis From the EXTEND-IA Trials and SELECT Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The effect of anesthesia choice on endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) outcomes is unclear. Collateral status on perfusion imaging may help identify the optimal anesthesia choice. METHODS: In a pooled patient-level analysis of EXTEND-IA, EXTEND-IA TNK, EXTEND-IA TNK part II, and SELECT, EVT functional outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score distribution) were compared between general anesthesia (GA) vs non-GA in a propensity-matched sample. Furthermore, we evaluated the association of collateral flow on perfusion imaging, assessed by hypoperfusion intensity ratio (HIR) - Tmax \u3e 10 seconds/Tmax \u3e 6 seconds (good collaterals - HIR \u3c 0.4, poor collaterals - HIR ≥ 0.4) on the association between anesthesia type and EVT outcomes. RESULTS: Of 725 treated with EVT, 299 (41%) received GA and 426 (59%) non-GA. The baseline characteristics differed in presentation National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (median [interquartile range] GA: 18 [13-22], non-GA: 16 [11-20], DISCUSSION: GA was associated with worse functional outcomes after EVT, particularly in patients with poor collaterals in a propensity score-matched analysis from a pooled patient-level cohort from 3 randomized trials and 1 prospective cohort study. The confounding by indication may persist despite the doubly robust nature of the analysis. These findings have implications for randomized trials of GA vs non-GA and may be of utility for clinicians when making anesthesia type choice. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class III evidence that use of GA is associated with worse functional outcome in patients undergoing EVT. TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION: EXTEND-IA: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01492725); EXTEND-IA TNK: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02388061); EXTEND-IA TNK part II: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03340493); and SELECT: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02446587)

Temporal Trends in Stroke Incidence over Time by Sex and Age in the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Stroke Study

Background and Purpose- Sex differences in stroke incidence over time were previously reported from the GCNKSS (Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Study). We aimed to determine whether these differences continued through 2015 and whether they were driven by particular age groups. Methods- Within the GCNKSS population of 1.3 million, incident (first ever) strokes among residents ≥20 years of age were ascertained at all local hospitals during 5 periods: July 1993 to June 1994 and calendar years 1999, 2005, 2010, and 2015. Out-of-hospital cases were sampled. Sex-specific incidence rates per 100 000 were adjusted for age and race and standardized to the 2010 US Census. Trends over time by sex were compared (overall and age stratified). Sex-specific case fatality rates were also reported. Bonferroni corrections were applied for multiple comparisons. Results- Over the 5 study periods, there were 9733 incident strokes (56.3% women). For women, there were 229 (95% CI, 215-242) per 100 000 incident strokes in 1993/1994 and 174 (95% CI, 163-185) in 2015 (P<0.05), compared with 282 (95% CI, 263-301) in 1993/1994 to 211 (95% CI, 198-225) in 2015 (P<0.05) in men. Incidence rates decreased between the first and last study periods in both sexes for IS but not for intracerebral hemorrhage or subarachnoid hemorrhage. Significant decreases in stroke incidence occurred between the first and last study periods for both sexes in the 65- to 84-year age group and men only in the ≥85-year age group; stroke incidence increased for men only in the 20- to 44-year age group. Conclusions- Overall stroke incidence decreased from the early 1990s to 2015 for both sexes. Future studies should continue close surveillance of sex differences in the 20- to 44-year and ≥85-year age groups, and future stroke prevention strategies should target strokes in the young- and middle-age groups, as well as intracerebral hemorrhage

Thrombectomy Outcomes With General vs Nongeneral Anesthesia: A Pooled Patient-Level Analysis From the EXTEND-IA Trials and SELECT Study

Background and Objectives The effect of anesthesia choice on endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) outcomes is unclear. Collateral status on perfusion imaging may help identify the optimal anesthesia choice. Methods In a pooled patient-level analysis of EXTEND-IA, EXTEND-IA TNK, EXTEND-IA TNK part II, and SELECT, EVT functional outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score distribution) were compared between general anesthesia (GA) vs non-GA in a propensity-matched sample. Furthermore, we evaluated the association of collateral flow on perfusion imaging, assessed by hypoperfusion intensity ratio (HIR) – Tmax \u3e 10 seconds/Tmax \u3e 6 seconds (good collaterals – HIR \u3c 0.4, poor collaterals – HIR ≥ 0.4) on the association between anesthesia type and EVT outcomes. Results Of 725 treated with EVT, 299 (41%) received GA and 426 (59%) non-GA. The baseline characteristics differed in presentation National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (median [interquartile range] GA: 18 [13–22], non-GA: 16 [11–20], p \u3c 0.001) and ischemic core volume (GA: 15.0 mL [3.2–38.0] vs non-GA: 9.0 mL [0.0–31.0], p \u3c 0.001). In addition, GA was associated with longer last known well to arterial access (203 minutes [157–267] vs 186 minutes [138–252], p = 0.002), but similar procedural time (35.5 minutes [23–59] vs 34 minutes [22–54], p = 0.51). Of 182 matched pairs using propensity scores, baseline characteristics were similar. In the propensity score–matched pairs, GA was independently associated with worse functional outcomes (adjusted common odds ratio [adj. cOR]: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.44–0.93, p = 0.021) and higher neurologic worsening (GA: 14.9% vs non-GA: 8.9%, aOR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.02–4.33, p = 0.045). Patients with poor collaterals had worse functional outcomes with GA (adj. cOR: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.29–0.76, p = 0.002), whereas no difference was observed in those with good collaterals (adj. cOR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.50–1.74, p = 0.82), pinteraction: 0.07. No difference was observed in infarct growth overall and in patients with good collaterals, whereas patients with poor collaterals demonstrated larger infarct growth with GA with a significant interaction between collaterals and anesthesia type on infarct growth rate (pinteraction: 0.020). Discussion GA was associated with worse functional outcomes after EVT, particularly in patients with poor collaterals in a propensity score–matched analysis from a pooled patient-level cohort from 3 randomized trials and 1 prospective cohort study. The confounding by indication may persist despite the doubly robust nature of the analysis. These findings have implications for randomized trials of GA vs non-GA and may be of utility for clinicians when making anesthesia type choice. Classification of Evidence This study provides Class III evidence that use of GA is associated with worse functional outcome in patients undergoing EVT. Trial Registration Information EXTEND-IA: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01492725); EXTEND-IA TNK: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02388061); EXTEND-IA TNK part II: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03340493); and SELECT: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02446587)

Deriving Place of Residence, Modified Rankin Scale, and EuroQol-5D Scores from the Medical Record for Stroke Survivors

Introduction: We sought to determine the feasibility and validity of estimating post-stroke outcomes using information available in the electronic medical record (EMR) through comparison with outcomes obtained from telephone interviews. Methods: The Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Stroke Study is a retrospective population-based epidemiology study that ascertains hospitalized strokes in the study region. As a sub-study, we identified all ischemic stroke patients who presented to a system of 4 hospitals during the study period 1/1/2015–12/31/2015 and were discharged alive. Enrolled subjects (or proxies for cognitively-disabled patients) were contacted by telephone at 3 and 6 months post-stroke to determine current place of residence and two functional outcomes—the modified Rankin Score (mRS) and the EuroQol (EQ-5D). Concurrently, the lead study coordinator, blinded to the telephone assessment outcomes, reviewed all available EMRs to estimate outcome status. Agreement between outcomes estimated from the EMR with “gold-standard” data obtained from telephone interviews was analyzed using the kappa statistic or interclass correlation (ICC), as appropriate. For each outcome, EMR-determined results were evaluated for added value beyond the information readily available from the stroke hospital stay. Results: Of 381 ischemic strokes identified, 294 (median [IQR] age 70 [60–79] years, 4% black, 52% female) were interviewed post-stroke. Agreement between EMR and telephone for 3-month residence was very good (kappa=0.84, 95% CI 0.74–0.94), good for mRS (weighted kappa=0.75, 95% CI 0.70–0.80), and good for EQ-5D (ICC=0.74, 95% CI 0.68–0.79). Similar results were observed at 6 months post stroke. At both 3 and 6 months post stroke, EMR-determined outcomes added value in predicting the gold standard telephone results beyond the information available from the stroke hospitalization; the added fraction of new information ranged from 0.25 to 0.59. Conclusions: Determining place of residence, mRS, and EQ-5D outcomes derived from information recorded in the EMR post-stroke, without patient contact, is feasible and has good agreement with data obtained from direct contact. However, we note that the level of agreement for mRS and EQ-5D was higher for proxy interviews and that the EMR often reflects health care providers’ judgments that tend to overestimate disability and underestimate quality of life

Health Factors Associated With Development and Severity of Poststroke Dysphagia: An Epidemiological Investigation

Background Dysphagia after stroke is common and can impact morbidity and death. The purpose of this population‐based study was to determine specific epidemiological and health risk factors that impact development of dysphagia after acute stroke. Methods and Results Ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke cases from 2010 and 2015 were identified via chart review from the GCNKSS (Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Stroke Study), a representative sample of ≈1.3 million adults from southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky. Dysphagia status was determined on the basis of clinical assessments and necessity for alternative access to nutrition via nasogastric or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placement. Comparisons between patients with and without dysphagia were made to determine differences in baseline characteristics and premorbid conditions. Multivariable logistic regression determined factors associated with increased risk of dysphagia. Dysphagia status was ascertained from 4139 cases (1709 with dysphagia). Logistic regression showed that increased age, Black race, higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at admission, having a hemorrhagic stroke (versus infarct), and right hemispheric stroke increased the risk of developing dysphagia after stroke. Factors associated with reduced risk included history of high cholesterol, lower prestroke modified Rankin Scale score, and white matter disease. Conclusions This study replicated previous findings of variables associated with dysphagia (older age, worse stroke, right‐sided hemorrhagic lesions), whereas other variables identified were without clear biological rationale (eg, Black race, history of high cholesterol, and presence of white matter disease) and should be investigated in future studies to determine biological relevance and potential influence in stroke recovery

Racial Differences in Atrial Cardiopathy Phenotypes in Patients With Ischemic Stroke

Objective: To test the hypothesis that thrombogenic atrial cardiopathy may be relevant to stroke-related racial disparities, we compared atrial cardiopathy phenotypes between Black vs White patients with ischemic stroke. Methods: We assessed markers of atrial cardiopathy in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Study, a study of stroke incidence in a population of 1.3 million. We obtained ECGs and reports of echocardiograms performed during evaluation of stroke during the 2010/2015 study periods. Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) or flutter (AFL) were excluded. Investigators blinded to patients' characteristics measured P-wave terminal force in ECG lead V1 (PTFV1), a marker of left atrial fibrosis and impaired interatrial conduction, and abstracted left atrial diameter from echocardiogram reports. Linear regression was used to examine the association between race and atrial cardiopathy markers after adjustment for demographics, body mass index, and vascular comorbidities. Results: Among 3,426 ischemic stroke cases in Black or White patients without AF/AFL, 2,391 had a left atrial diameter measurement (mean, 3.65 ± 0.70 cm). Black race was associated with smaller left atrial diameter in unadjusted (β coefficient, -0.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.17 to -0.05) and adjusted (β, -0.15; 95% CI, -0.21 to -0.09) models. PTFV1 measurements were available in 3,209 patients (mean, 3,434 ± 2,525 μV*ms). Black race was associated with greater PTFV1 in unadjusted (β, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.21-1.97) and adjusted (β, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.00-1.80) models. Conclusions: We found systematic Black-White racial differences in left atrial structure and pathophysiology in a population-based sample of patients with ischemic stroke. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class II evidence that atrial cardiopathy phenotypes differ in Black people with acute stroke compared to White people

Substance Use and Performance of Toxicology Screens in the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Stroke Study

Background Though stroke risk factors such as substance use may vary with age, less is known about trends in substance use over time or about performance of toxicology screens in young adults with stroke. Methods Using the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Stroke Study, a population-based study in a 5-county region comprising 1.3 million people, we reported the frequency of documented substance use (cocaine/marijuana/opiates/other) obtained from electronic medical record review, overall and by race/gender subgroups among physician-adjudicated stroke events (ischemic and hemorrhagic) in adults 20–54 years old. Secondary analyses included heavy alcohol use and cigarette smoking. Data were reported for 5 one-year periods spanning 22 years (1993/4–2015), and trends over time were tested. For 2015, to evaluate factors associated with performance of toxicology screens, multiple logistic regression was performed. Results Overall, 2152 strokes were included: 74.5% were ischemic, mean age was 45.7±7.6, 50.0% were women, and 35.9% were Black. Substance use was documented in 4.4%, 10.4%, 19.2%, 24.0% and 28.8% of cases in 1993/4, 1999, 2005, 2010 and 2015, respectively (ptrend<0.001). Between 1993/4 and 2015, documented substance use increased in all demographic subgroups. Adjusting for gender, comorbidities, and NIHSS, predictors of toxicology screens included Black race (aOR 1.58, 95%CI 1.02–2.45), younger age (aOR 0.70, 95%CI 0.53–0.91, per 10 years), current smoking (aOR 1.62, 95%CI 1.06–2.46) and treatment at an academic hospital (aOR 1.80, 95%CI 1.14–2.84). After adding chart reported substance use to the model, only chart reported substance abuse and age were significant. Conclusions In a population-based study of young adults with stroke, documented substance use increased over time, and documentation of substance use was higher among Black compared with White individuals. Further work is needed to confirm race-based disparities and trends in substance use given the potential for bias in screening and documentation. Findings suggest a need for more standardized toxicology screening

Projections of Endovascular Therapy-Eligible Patients With Stroke for the US Population.

BACKGROUND As stroke endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) treatment indications expand, understanding population-based EVT eligibility becomes critical for resource planning. We aimed to project current and future population-based EVT eligibility in the United States. METHODS We conducted a post hoc analysis of the physician-adjudicated GCNKSS (Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Stroke Study; 2015 epoch), a population-based, cross sectional, observational study of stroke incidence, treatment, and outcomes across a 5-county region. All hospitalized patients ≥18 years of age with acute ischemic stroke were ascertained using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes 430-436 and Tenth Revision codes I60-I67 and G45-G46 and extrapolated to the US adult census 2020. We determined the rate of EVT eligibility within the GCNKSS population using time from last known well to presentation (0-5 versus 5-23 hours), presenting National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, and prestroke modified Rankin Scale. Both conservative and liberal estimates of prevalence of large vessel occlusion and large core were then applied based on literature review (unavailable within the 2015 GCNKSS). This eligibility was then extrapolated to the 2020 US population. RESULTS Of the 1 057 183 adults within GCNKSS in 2015, 2741 had an ischemic stroke and 2176 had data available for analysis. We calculated that 8659 to 17 219 patients (conservative to liberal) meet the current guideline-recommended EVT criteria (nonlarge core, no prestroke disability, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≥6) in the United States. Estimates (conservative to liberal) for expanded EVT eligibility subpopulations include (1) 5316 to 10 635 by large core; (2) 10 635 to 21 270 by mild presenting deficits with low National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score; (3) 13 572 to 27 089 by higher prestroke disability; and (4) 7039 to 14 180 by >1 criteria. These expanded eligibility subpopulations amount to 36 562 to 73 174 patients. CONCLUSIONS An estimated 8659 to 17 219 adult patients in the United States met strict EVT eligibility criteria in 2020. A 4-fold increase in population-based EVT eligibility can be anticipated with incremental adoption of recent or future positive trials. US stroke systems need to be rapidly optimized to handle all EVT-eligible patients with stroke