6 research outputs found

    Apixaban versus no anticoagulation after anticoagulation-associated intracerebral haemorrhage in patients with atrial fibrillation in the Netherlands (APACHE-AF):a randomised, open-label, phase 2 trial

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    Background In patients with atrial fibrillation who survive an anticoagulation-associated intracerebral haemorrhage, a decision must be made as to whether restarting or permanently avoiding anticoagulation is the best long-term strategy to prevent recurrent stroke and other vascular events. In APACHE-AF, we aimed to estimate the rates of non-fatal stroke or vascular death in such patients when treated with apixaban compared with when anticoagulation was avoided, to inform the design of a larger trial. Methods APACHE-AF was a prospective, randomised, open-label, phase 2 trial with masked endpoint assessment, done at 16 hospitals in the Netherlands. Patients who survived intracerebral haemorrhage while treated with anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation were eligible for inclusion 7-90 days after the haemorrhage. Participants also had a CHA2DS2-VASc score of at least 2 and a score on the modified Rankin scale (mRS) of 4 or less. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive oral apixaban (5 mg twice daily or a reduced dose of 2.5 mg twice daily) or to avoid anticoagulation (oral antiplatelet agents could be prescribed at the discretion of the treating physician) by a central computerised randomisation system, stratified by the intention to start or withhold antiplatelet therapy in participants randomised to avoiding anticoagulation, and minimised for age and intracerebral haemorrhage location. The primary outcome was a composite of non-fatal stroke or vascular death, whichever came first, during a minimum follow-up of 6 months, analysed using Cox proportional hazards modelling in the intention-to-treat population. APACHE-AF is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02565693) and the Netherlands Trial Register (NL4395), and the trial is closed to enrolment at all participating sites. Findings Between Jan 15, 2015, and July 6, 2020, we recruited 101 patients (median age 78 years [IQR 73-83]; 55 [54%] were men and 46 [46%] were women; 100 [99%] were White and one [1%] was Black) a median of 46 days (IQR 21-74) after intracerebral haemorrhage. 50 were assigned to apixaban and 51 to avoid anticoagulation (of whom 26 [51%] started antiplatelet therapy). None were lost to follow-up. Over a median follow-up of 1.9 years (IQR 1.0-3.1; 222 person-years), non-fatal stroke or vascular death occurred in 13 (26%) participants allocated to apixaban (annual event rate 12.6% [95% CI 6.7-21.5]) and in 12 (24%) allocated to avoid anticoagulation (11.9% [95% CI 6.2-20.8]; adjusted hazard ratio 1.05 [95% CI 0.48-2.31]; p=0.90). Serious adverse events that were not outcome events occurred in 29 (58%) of 50 participants assigned to apixaban and 29 (57%) of 51 assigned to avoid anticoagulation. Interpretation Patients with atrial fibrillation who had an intracerebral haemorrhage while taking anticoagulants have a high subsequent annual risk of non-fatal stroke or vascular death, whether allocated to apixaban or to avoid anticoagulation. Our data underline the need for randomised controlled trials large enough to allow identification of subgroups in whom restarting anticoagulation might be either beneficial or hazardous. Copyright (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

    Intrinsic factors influencing help-seeking behaviour in an acute stroke situation

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    The proportion of stroke patients eligible for intravenous or intra-arterial treatment is still limited because many patients do not seek medical help immediately after stroke onset. The aim of our study was to explore which intrinsic factors and considerations influence help-seeking behaviour of relatively healthy participants, confronted with stroke situations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 non-stroke participants aged 50 years or older. We presented 5 clinical stroke situations as if experienced by the participants themselves. Recognition and interpretation of symptoms were evaluated and various factors influencing help-seeking behaviour were explored in-depth. We used the thematic synthesis method for data analysis. Five themes influencing help-seeking behaviour in a stroke situation were identified: influence of knowledge, views about seriousness, ideas about illness and health, attitudes towards others and beliefs about the emergency medical system. A correct recognition of stroke symptoms or a correct interpretation of the stroke situations did not automatically result in seeking medical help. Interestingly, similar factors could lead to different types of actions between participants. Many intrinsic, as well as social and environmental factors are of influence on help-seeking behaviour in an acute stroke situation. All these factors seem to play a complex role in help-seeking behaviour with considerable inter-individual variations. Accomplishing more patients eligible for acute stroke treatment, future research should focus on better understanding of all factors at various levels grounded in a theory of help-seeking behaviou

    The Frequency of CYP2C19 Loss-of-Function Variants in Patients with Non-Cardioembolic Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack in the Dutch Population

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    Introduction: The CYP2C19 enzyme converts clopidogrel into an active metabolite. Carriers of CYP2C19 loss-of-function (LOF) variants with a history of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) using clopidogrel may have a higher risk of recurrent stroke. To study the implications of genetic CYP2C19 heterogeneity in treatment of cerebral ischemia, knowledge about the prevalence of CYP2C19 LOF variants within the population is important. We investigated the frequency of CYP2C19 LOF variants in patients with non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke or TIA in the Dutch population. Methods: We performed a single-center observational study with a cross-sectional design in a Dutch thrombectomy-capable stroke center. We included all patients presenting with non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke or TIA. We determined the frequency of CYP2C19 LOF variants in the full cohort. Additionally, we compared the frequency of CYP2C19 LOF variants in two subgroups: patients with first-ever non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke or TIA versus patients with recurrent ischemic stroke or TIA using clopidogrel because of a history of ischemic stroke or TIA. Results: We enrolled 410 patients between January 1, 2021, and July 1, 2021. 109 (26.6%) patients were carriers of CYP2C19 LOF variants. We found no difference in the frequency of CYP2C19 LOF variants between patients with first-ever ischemic stroke or TIA versus patients with recurrent ischemic stroke or TIA using clopidogrel (25.9 vs. 31.9%, respectively, p = 0.31). Discussion and Conclusion: About a quarter of patients with non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke or TIA in the Dutch population carry a CYP2C19 LOF variant. This is lower than estimates found in studies with Asian populations but similar to estimates found among Caucasian patients in other parts of the world.</p

    Preventive Antibiotics in Stroke Study (PASS): A cost-effectiveness study

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    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of preventive ceftriaxone vs standard stroke unit care without preventive antimicrobial therapy in acute stroke patients. METHODS: In this multicenter, randomized, open-label trial with masked endpoint assessment, 2,550 patients with acute stroke were included between 2010 and 2014. Economic evaluation was performed from a societal perspective with a time horizon of 3 months. Volumes and costs of direct, indirect, medical, and nonmedical care were assessed. Primary outcome was cost per unit of the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) for cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis. Incremental cost-effectiveness analyses were performed. RESULTS: A total of 2,538 patients were available for the intention-to-treat analysis. For the cost-effectiveness analysis, 2,538 patients were available for in-hospital resource use and 1,453 for other resource use. Use of institutional care resources, out-of-pocket expenses, and productivity losses was comparable between treatment groups. The mean score on mRS was 2.38 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.31-2.44) vs 2.44 (95% CI 2.37-2.51) in the ceftriaxone vs control group, the decrease by 0.06 (95% CI -0.04 to 0.16) in favor of ceftriaxone treatment being nonsignificant. However, the number of QALYs was 0.163 (95% CI 0.159-0.166) vs 0.155 (95% CI 0.152-0.158) in the ceftriaxone vs control group, with the difference of 0.008 (95% CI 0.003-0.012) in favor of ceftriaxone (p = 0.006) at 3 months. The probability of ceftriaxone being cost-effective ranged between 0.67 and 0.89. Probability of 0.75 was attained at a willing-to-pay level of €2,290 per unit decrease in the mRS score and of €12,200 per QALY. CONCLUSIONS: Preventive ceftriaxone has a probability of 0.7 of being less costly than standard treatment per unit decrease in mRS and per QALY gained

    Apixaban versus no anticoagulation after anticoagulation-associated intracerebral haemorrhage in patients with atrial fibrillation in the Netherlands (APACHE-AF): a randomised, open-label, phase 2 trial

    No full text
    Background: In patients with atrial fibrillation who survive an anticoagulation-associated intracerebral haemorrhage, a decision must be made as to whether restarting or permanently avoiding anticoagulation is the best long-term strategy to prevent recurrent stroke and other vascular events. In APACHE-AF, we aimed to estimate the rates of non-fatal stroke or vascular death in such patients when treated with apixaban compared with when anticoagulation was avoided, to inform the design of a larger trial. Methods: APACHE-AF was a prospective, randomised, open-label, phase 2 trial with masked endpoint assessment, done at 16 hospitals in the Netherlands. Patients who survived intracerebral haemorrhage while treated with anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation were eligible for inclusion 7–90 days after the haemorrhage. Participants also had a CHA2DS2-VASc score of at least 2 and a score on the modified Rankin scale (mRS) of 4 or less. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive oral apixaban (5 mg twice daily or a reduced dose of 2·5 mg twice daily) or to avoid anticoagulation (oral antiplatelet agents could be prescribed at the discretion of the treating physician) by a central computerised randomisation system, stratified by the intention to start or withhold antiplatelet therapy in participants randomised to avoiding anticoagulation, and minimised for age and intracerebral haemorrhage location. The primary outcome was a composite of non-fatal stroke or vascular death, whichever came first, during a minimum follow-up of 6 months, analysed using Cox proportional hazards modelling in the intention-to-treat population. APACHE-AF is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02565693) and the Netherlands Trial Register (NL4395), and the trial is closed to enrolment at all participating sites. Findings: Between Jan 15, 2015, and July 6, 2020, we recruited 101 patients (median age 78 years [IQR 73–83]; 55 [54%] were men and 46 [46%] were women; 100 [99%] were White and one [1%] was Black) a median of 46 days (IQR 21–74) after intracerebral haemorrhage. 50 were assigned to apixaban and 51 to avoid anticoagulation (of whom 26 [51%] started antiplatelet therapy). None were lost to follow-up. Over a median follow-up of 1·9 years (IQR 1·0–3·1; 222 person-years), non-fatal stroke or vascular death occurred in 13 (26%) participants allocated to apixaban (annual event rate 12·6% [95% CI 6·7–21·5]) and in 12 (24%) allocated to avoid anticoagulation (11·9% [95% CI 6·2–20·8]; adjusted hazard ratio 1·05 [95% CI 0·48–2·31]; p=0·90). Serious adverse events that were not outcome events occurred in 29 (58%) of 50 participants assigned to apixaban and 29 (57%) of 51 assigned to avoid anticoagulation. Interpretation: Patients with atrial fibrillation who had an intracerebral haemorrhage while taking anticoagulants have a high subsequent annual risk of non-fatal stroke or vascular death, whether allocated to apixaban or to avoid anticoagulation. Our data underline the need for randomised controlled trials large enough to allow identification of subgroups in whom restarting anticoagulation might be either beneficial or hazardous. Funding: Dutch Heart Foundation (grant 2012T077)
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